Beautifully Broken
by Morphme
Summary: When Tommy discovers that Kimberly has come back to Angel Grove, he's got one thing in mind: getting answers. His answer seeking mission is put to a halt though when he finds out Kim isn't talk to him - or anyone for that matter. Something from Kim's past has left her shattered and silent. It's up to Tommy to discover what that was and how to save her from an enemy he can't see.
1. Just A Dream

**A/N: Here we go! Here is the first chapter of my new fic titled ****Beautifully**** Broken. This fic will only be about seven or eight chapters. It's something I've been mulling over for a while now and I needed to get it out of my system. I promise that if you think you know where this is heading, you are completely wrong. This is going to be VERY dark and I will give a ****hefty**** warning once we come across the chapter that makes this an M rated fic.**

**As always, thanks for reading! I'm working on a new one-shot you might see uploaded in a couple days. Keep tossing me suggestions as well!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Power Rangers but an obsession. I promise you it's only a tad bit unhealthy.**

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**Beautifully Broken**

**Chapter One**

_Just A Dream_

"Great work, guys! C'mon. One more round. Andrew, get that knee up, okay?" I called out, walking around the perimeter of the room. The red green and white mat under my feet sank each time my bare foot pressed into it, making the soles of my feet sigh with relief. They were still killing me from the work I had down yesterday, calluses on my hand matching them. I crossed my arms behind my back as I walked, viewing the students in front of me. As they went through their kata, they would let out yells that matched the movements. I couldn't help but to smile as I observed them, seeing what prograss most of them had made over the last couple of weeks. They were the beginners class that started towards the end of June. Mostly kids whose parents wanted them to do something besides cause trouble throughout the summer. The Angel Grove Martial Arts School was more than willing to provide that for them and more.

"And that's a wrap!" Rocky DeSantos called from the other side of the room. The thirty four year old smiled out at the class as they came to a stop. "Bow to me." He said, the students bending their heads towards him. "Bow to Sensei Oliver." The kids turned to bow at me, something that still felt strange to me. As the class broke up, they grouped off to talk to one another as they headed towards the locker rooms to change. Shaking my head, I walked over to Rocky who was high fiving the younger kids as they passed by him. "Good class today, man." He said, smiling at me. His brown hair was cut short to his scalp, a desperate attempt to fight the receding hairline that was becoming more apparent with each passing year.

"It was. I still wish that a couple of them would practice more at home. You can tell they aren't." I said, eyeing students as they walked by. Rocky nodded.

"I know. I keep telling the Jeffreys twins they need to put more effort into it but they seem to think they are perfect as they are right now. It is what it is. As long as their parents pay their monthly membership, they get what they want out of it I suppose." He frowned, shaking his head. "Karate doesn't mean as much now as it did when we were kids."

"I know. Everything is on a video game now, that's why." I muttered, feeling ninety instead of thirty five. "I'm gonna head up to the office. I'll be down in time for the next class."

"Sure thing, Tommy." He said, smiling at me. I patted him on the back before walking towards the back of the large training room. It led to the area where our locker rooms were, white walls continuing on. I took a right in the hall, finding a flight of stairs. Jogging up them, I pushed open the door at the top and walked into my office. It was painted a dark green color with black trim, an oak desk in the middle set on dark hardwood floors. There was a mountain of paperwork on top of it nestled between my computer and phone. Sighing, I walked over and sat in the office chair. I had no real desire to do any of the work that was there but I knew I needed to. If I wanted the lights to stay on here, it had to be done.

I had decided to open up my own dojo about a year ago. At the time, I was working as a high school science teacher in Reefside, California. It's about a four hour drive from here, smack dab in the middle of some mountains and nothing. I was also freshly divorced and owned my own home. It was an okay gig but just didn't fancy what I wanted to do in life any more. With some persuasion from Rocky and my best friend, Jason Lee Scott, I made the decision to move back here to Angel Grove and to open up my own dojo. It wasn't easy at first, not really knowing what to expect. Kids these days really don't see karate as a big deal anymore like Rocky said. I plunged anyway, opening up. Classes were slow at first and I wasn't sure we were going to make it but here we are. After doing some open houses and a free show at the elementary and high schools, I was able to get enough kids signed up that I had to hire Rocky on as an extra teacher.

Leaning forward, I ruffled through some of the papers until I found a stack of invoices. These were paid memberships for the month that needed to be filed in the filing cabinet in the corner. I tossed the pile on the floor, moving on. I found some of my utility bills and I tucked them under the keyboard so I could deal with them after. The rest of the papers were unpaid invoices that had to be sent out and flyers for our upcoming showcase that was next week. The kids were getting excited about it. Rocky and I had managed to reserve the auditorium in the school for it, giving the kids a chance to show off what they've learned and maybe get some more kids interested and involved. It also showed their parents they weren't just here pretending to be ninjas as it had been previously suggested to me in the past.

As I moved some papers, the picture frame on my desk caught my eye. It was a group photo in a black frame, the glass reflecting the fluorescent lights over my head. In the photo, I spotted myself and Rocky, him standing in the back. Next to him stood Jason, his dark hair combed back neatly. His girlfriend was next to him, his arm around Trini Kwan in an affectionate manner. The young Asian woman smiled at the camera, her long black hair braided down her shoulder. On Rocky's other side stood our friend, Billy Cranston. The dark blond man smiled at the camera as well, his glasses reflecting the sunlight that had been shining. In front of the two of them was Rocky's wife, Aisha Campbell. She was shorter than them, the African American woman only coming up to five feet. She stood next to Trini and I was on the other side of Billy. Knelt down on the ground was Adam Parks and Zack Taylor. Adam was knelt down in front of Aisha, his black hair longer and hanging in his face slightly. Zack was on the other side, the black man smiling with so much charisma at the camera that any girl would swoon at the sight of him (at least that's what he was probably thinking.)

My eyes lingered on the woman who was tucked into the space between Billy and I, her arm around my waist in the picture. Her long chestnut brown hair was clipped back on the top of her head and a broad smile was on her lips. My attention wasn't on the person taking the photo. It was on Kimberly Hart who was smiling right back at me, nothing else matters around us. Picking up the picture in my hand, I leaned back in my chair and sighed. Kimberly. The biggest mystery of my life than came with more than one chapter it seemed. This photo was taken two years ago after Aisha and Rocky's engagement party. It would be the first time I had seen Kim in almost ten years and the last time I would see her too.

"Where did you go?" I whispered, running a finger down the side of the picture. Saying that Kimberly and I had history was robbing our past justice. We met when I moved to Angel Grove during the ninth grade. My adopted family was a military family, meaning we moved more than anyone else I knew. When my dad decided to retire, they settled for Angel Grove because it was quiet. Or at least, that's what they thought. The very moment I saw Kim, I knew there was something special about her. I wasn't sure if it was her smile or the way she said my name but I just knew I needed to see and hear more of it.

This is the part of the story that's going to seem a bit odd unless you're from around here. On my second day of school, I ended up being kidnapped by an evil sorceress by the name of Rita Repulsa. She was located on the moon and was the arch nemesis of the Power Rangers, a team of colorfully clad warriors who were created to protect the world from the likes of Rita. She kidnapped me to become the evil Green Ranger, a force so powerful that she hoped to use me to wipe out the rest of the Rangers.

I told you. It's odd. I promise it's true though.

Rita placed me under a spell and I became the evil Green Ranger. I learned then that Jason, Trini, Billy, Zack, and Kimberly were the other Power Rangers. The spell made me want to destroy them, ending their reign on Earth so that Rita could rule anew. And, I almost succeeded. I had them on the ropes a few time, my powers proving to be stronger than anything they had ever faced. Thankfully, they were able to come up with a way to save the day and end the spell. That's when they asked me to join their team and become the sixth Power Ranger. I did, joining their ranks to defend Earth from Rita. Jason was the red Ranger and the leader, Zack was his second command as the black ranger, Trini was yellow and assisted Billy, the blue Ranger, with the engineering aspect of the job, and Kimberly was the pink Ranger. Her role was to be compassionate during their missions and to keep the group together, something she did beautifully. Even when I was under the spell, she still did her best to make sure I was okay and try to break the spell by talking to me. It was a wonder I didn't kill her then. It had been what I had been trained to do but for some reason, I didn't.

My feelings for Kimberly grew more as we worked together. We spent a great deal of time together from class projects to learning the ropes around the Command Center, the space where the Power Rangers trained and reported to their mentor, Zordon. He was an intergalactic being whose only connection to Earth and our dimension was through a giant tube. He also had a talking robot sidekick. Kim made sure that I was welcomed with open arms, even when some of the other Rangers were lery of me due to my past with Rita.

Rita managed to drain me of my powers, using an enchanted candle to suck me dry. After that, I was fearful that my budding whatever I had with Kim was going to fade. I decided to take my shot one day and kissed her. To my surprise, it was a feeling she had as well. It was and still is one of the best moments of my life that I will never forget. From that moment, we were together. I ended up back on the team as the Green Ranger again for a while and then the White Ranger, a power developed by Zordon and Alpha (the talking robot.) Life was great. I didn't mind the ranger stuff as long as Kim was by my side. We were and unstoppable match and I saw our future together,

Apparently, that wasn't meant to be though. Some unforeseen circumstances came along; Rita and another spell that bewitched a girl named Katherine Hibbard. It led to Kimberly having a near fatal incident with her powers. At the same time, she was offered the chance to join a world renowned gymnastics team in Florida to train for the Pan Global Games and then the Olympics. She was uncertain about what to do, her loyalty to not only me but also the Rangers making her want to stay here. I knew if she didn't go through with it, she would regret it. It had been her dream since she was a little girl to go and I couldn't let her give it up because of me. She was reluctant but agree. We made a plan on how it would work out with the distance and off she went.

Plans in high school don't work out the greatest. It's a hard lesson everyone learns as they mature into adults. I received a letter from Kim a couple months after she had left, saying she had found another guy and was breaking things off with me. That hurt like a knife to the gut over and over again. I nearly lost it, unsure of how to process life without her in it. It's something I can still feel to this day. Kimberly was the love of my life and she was suddenly gone because she didn't want to be with me. If that wasn't heartbreaking, I didn't know what was.

I pushed through the pain, still having a team to run. At the time, Aisha, Adam, and Rocky had taken Jason, Trini and Zack's places and Kat had taken Kimberly's place. I'm not proud of my actions after the break up but now, I can see why it happened. I knew Katherine liked me but I didn't really have feelings for her. I was on autopilot though, going through the motions. We ended up together and somehow, it landed us married. Kat and I were married for about five years before she threw in the towel. It took her that long to realize I was still strung up on Kimberly to the point I would never be able to feel the same way about her as I did Kim. I gave her more credit than she ever got while we were together. She's living in Australia now, teaching dance classes at a private college.

After our divorce, I received an invite to Aisha and Rocky's engagement party. I dragged me feeting coming, not wanting to be at a party about love when I was feeling lousy as it was. To my surprise, however, Kimberly was the first person I ran into at the party. It had been the first time I had seen her in close to ten years and she hadn't changed a bit. She was still the beautiful woman who had left me brokenhearted all those years ago. I had thought there would be a bitterness between us but it was quite the opposite. Instead, we ended up sitting together for most of the night and the next morning just talking about everything under the sun. We had so much to catch up on and she wanted to hear everything, including everything with Kat. She told me about her time in Florida and at the Olympic games. It was as if the break up had never occured and I was sitting with an old friend.

Over the course of the next year, Kim and I kept in contact. She was still in Florida while I was in Reefside. She had been one of the leading forces behind me getting out of teaching school and getting my own dojo. She supported the idea and told me it was my dream so I should go for it. We would talk on the phone every night and text during the day. I had my heart set on getting back together. It seemed like it was going to happen. I even told Jason and Trini about it, the two of the excited at the prospect. Kimberly planned a vacation out here to see the place the dojo would be going and asked me to pick her up at the airport. I bought flowers and planned on asking her to be with me again as soon as she landed.

Only, she didn't. I waited for hours there, thinking her flight had been delayed. Then a flight attendant had told me her plane had come and went without her on it. I tried calling her but she didn't answer her phone. This went on for hours and then days. Fear gripped my chest at the thought that something had happened to her. I would call and call and call and she wouldn't answer. Not even a text message. I was moments from ordering a plane ticket down there when Trini told me she had heard from Kim. Trini told me that Kim was fine. I kept trying to call her but she never answered. Finally, I called one day and the number had been disconnected.

I was heartbroken all over again.

I havent seen or spoken to Kim since then, making it six months a couple weeks ago. I gave up trying shortly after her phone was disconnected. Since then, I've thrown all my focus into the dojo and keeping the doors open. Some day, I'm hoping I can show her so she will know that I followed my dreams. It saddens me that I still think of her a lot and wonder what she would think about things as I go throughout my day. A part of me feels like she died and that's why I can't speak to her anymore. Sometimes, that makes it easier to deal with. Other times, I get blind rage when I think about her and how she didn't think I was good enough for her again. It's a constant inner struggle I deal with but I'm hoping some day it'll get better.

I jumped when the phone on the desk rang, startling me. I set the picture off to the side of the desk, picking up the receiver of the black phone. "Angel Grove Martial Arts. Tommy speaking." I said.

"I'll never get over how professional that shit sounds." Jason's voice said on the other end. I laughed leaning back in my chair, rubbing a hand over my face.

"Very funny, asshole. What do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?"

"I gotta cancel our plans for tonight." He replied and I heard a beeping noise on his end, like he was sitting in his car with the door open. We had plans on watching the game tonight, the Warriors taking on the Raptors tonight in the fourth game of the finals. He had been talking about it all week, excited about the idea of the Warriors taking it all the way.

"Everything alright, man?" I asked.

"Yeah. Trini just isn't feeling well and I think I"m just gonna make sure she's alright. Hate to do this to you so last minute, Tommy." He sounded sincere and I could picture his face.

"It's alright. I was just telling myself that sitting at home by myself on a friday night is the ideal way a divorce guy should spend his time." I replied, chuckling. "You're fine, Jase. Give Trini my best. I know something has been going around here. Maybe she picked something up from work."

"Maybe. Who knows. All I know is that I better not catch it. I prefer not to spend the weekend throwing up unless a bottle of tequila is involved."

"Dude, we're edging towards forty. Tequila might kill us at this point." I said flatly. Jason laughed, the sound echoing around his car.

"Alright. But it would be one hell of a way to go out, right?"

"I'd rather face Rita." I answered, both of us laughing.

"And you're supposed to be our fearless leader." There was shuffling in the background. "Shit, I gotta go. I gotta pick up some meds for Trini. I'll call you tomorrow though. We can get food and talk about the game."

"Sure. Talk to you later." I hung up the phone, standing up from the desk. Since Jason wasn't coming over for the game, I now felt myself feeling a bit lonely. It was common. Being the only single guy out of all your friends, you'll realize how much it sucks being the third or fifth wheel to everything. You get used to it though dodging suggestions from your friends about people you should meet or blind dates. I've given up on that, something that Aisha doesn't like to hear. She loves trying to set me up with her work friends. None of them ever really caught my eye and one actually left halfway through the date. So much of a first impression.

Grabbing my duffel bag, I scooped my keys up from the desk and headed out the office door. Jogging down the stairs, I saw that there were only a couple students left who were waiting for their parents by the front door. Rocky was wiping down the mats with the sanitizer and the mop we keep. He looked up at me as I approached him. "Heading out?" He asked, leaning against the mop handle. I nodded.

"Yeah. I'll be in first thing for the morning classes. You coming in?" I asked, heading towards the front door.

"I should be here. I'm surprised you're coming in." He said, going back to mopping. "Why didn't you tell me that Kimberly was coming back to town?" I froze, my hand on the handle of the door. "I thought for sure you would have said something about it. I didn't find out until Aisha told me this morning."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, turning to face him. He stopped, glancing at me again. The former red ranger looked confused.

"Trini and Jason picked Kim up from the airport a couple days ago. I guess she moved back here. You didn't know?"

"Rocky, are you sure about this?" I asked, stepping closer to him. My heart was pounding in my chest.

"Yeah! Aisha said she ran into them at the doctor's office yesterday. She didn't get to talk to Kim but Trini said that she had been back a couple days. She's staying at Trini's with her."

"I gotta go." I said, gripping the strap of my bag tightly in my hand. Without another word, I bursted out of the front door. Taking a left, I headed to the parking lot on the side of the building where my jeep was parked. I pulled my cell from my pocket as I did. I dialed Jason's number quickly, bringing it to my ear. It rang twice before he picked up.

"Hey, Tommy." Jason said, the sound of air moving around him in the background.

"Is it true?" I asked, tossing my bag into the back of the jeep.

"What are you talking about?" He asked. I swore.

"Is Kim back in town?" There was silence on his end, the wind still there, telling me he was still on the other end. "What the actual fuck, Jason!" I exclaimed.

"Look, man. I wanted to tell you. Really. But Trini made me swear I wouldn't. Not until Kim was ready for you to know."

"Where is she?" I asked, flinging my driver side door open.

"Tommy-." He started.

"Where the fuck is she?" I asked again, cutting him off.

"She's at Trini's." He replied.

"Thanks for nothing." I snapped, hanging up the phone and tossing it into the passenger seat. I started my jeep, roaring out the parking lot.


	2. Think of You

**A/N: Heyyyy! First off, sorry for such a delay in updates! I was dying of the flu all weekend and I'm still suffering from a cold. Also, I had a 25 page paper due on Sunday that was eating up a majority of my time. Thankfully, I am on a three week break from school and I am looking forward to spending some of that time hopefully getting this fic a good chunk of the way done.**

**Before you begin, you may notice the second half of this chapter is just the preview from before. You're right! But some people haven't read it. I do want to add that Tommy is driving into Angel Grove during it. His dojo is located on the more outskirts of Angel Grove. This won't play much into the story right now but will later. I promise, it was not a mistake. :) **

**As always, I own nothing Power Rangers. **

**Please remember to R&R and send me those one-shot ideas! I've gotten through some of them but I'm running out of ideas! If I haven't replied to your idea, trying messaging me again. Messages are the best way to contact me because things get lost in the reviews sometimes.**

**Thanks!**

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**Chapter Two**

_**Think Of You**_

**Angel Grove**

_2016_

The sound of soft music came flowing out of the open doors of the reception hall as I walked up the front steps. Along the door, there were strands of green vines with white flowers attached to them. I could see people milling around the room, couples talking to other people with champagne flutes in hand. Stopping inside of the doors, I glanced around. The reception hall of the community center was dressed up very nicely. The hard wood floors had been recently waxed and polished, reflection the glow of the soft lights that hung above from chandeliers. Long hard wood tables covered in white linens were set up along the length of the long hall, allowing seat for about two hundred people. Table settings of white china and silverware were set up in front of each seat, the centerpieces of orange tiger lilies in tall vases standing out against it. I had never been on for fancy parties. It was something a guy never really gets too excited about. Especially after getting divorced just over a year and a half ago.

Not that I didn't see the divorce coming. If I hadn't, I would have been a bigger idiot than I already claimed to be. Kat was better off now, pursuing her dream and finding new adventures. I was happy for her and glad we had managed to end things amicably unlike other couples usually do. Tucking my hands in my pocket, I walked to the right side of the room where I saw the bar. There was a long mirror on the wall behind the wooden bar, fancy lettering spelling out Angel Grove on it. There were lights in the panelling above it, illuminating it and the shelves on either side where liquor bottles were on display. A young kid who was twenty one if he was lucky was behind the bar, dressed in a white shirt and a red vest. A few guests were perched in front of the bar, ordering drinks. There were no stools, prohibiting people from hanging out there to hide all night. That had to have been Aisha's idea. Damn.

"What can I get you, sir?" The bartender asked me. My eyebrow twitched at being called 'sir.' I wasn't much older than this guy. Alright. Maybe ten years older. But, still.

"I'll take a jack and coke, please." I said, fishing out my wallet. I pulled a five dollar bull from it.

"Sure thing. It's open bar, by the way. Though I do accept tips." He replied, smiling at me. He nodded his head over at the tip jar in the middle of the bar. Subtle, kid.

"Make it two then." I answered, tucking the five into the jar. He nodded, grabbing two glasses and mixing the drinks together. I shoved my wallet back into the pocket of my tan dress pants and leaned against the bar. The kid was quick about his work, setting the two drinks in front of me and garnishing them with a cherry on top.

"Thanks." I said, picking them up. I brought the one to my lips and quickly drained it, setting the empty glass on the bar. The ice inside slushed together as they came to a rest. I didn't say anything else as I took the other and turned to face the hall again. Sweeping the room, I tried to find someone who I knew and would be willing to speak to. I spotted Aisha and Rocky but they were talking to a small group of older people that I believed were Rocky's family. I thought I spotted his grandmother in the mix. I didn't want to disturb them or get in the middle of that. I kept scanning, looking for someone else. I knew Trini and Jason weren't going to be here until later. She had to work until about eight and then they would be here. I had considered waiting until then to come but I had grown bored trying to find something to do around here to justify driving here so early. It was a four hour drive from my house in Reefside to Angel Grove. I don't know why I had left so early. Probably because I couldn't stand my house lately. It's so cold there now that it's just me there. Lonely.

As my eyes swept the room, they stopped on the left side of the room. In the far back corner, there was a lone person sitting at a table. I felt my heart stop before leaping up into my throat as Kimberly Hart tossed her caramel brown hair over her shoulder. It was longer than the last time I had scene her, streaks of dirty blonde running through it. She was lost in thought, staring at the center piece in front of her as she fiddled with a fork. I hadn't seen her in almost six years. Not since all the stuff that went down on Muranthias when she was supposed to be sacrificed as a wedding present. We hadn't talked much then either, her having to catch a plane back to Florida and the martial arts tournament being the same time. And it didn't help much that Kat had hoovered like a helicopter running out of fuel the entire time. Not that I can blame her for that.

Kim must have felt someone staring at her because she shifted her gaze up from the centerpiece and looked directly at me. I felt the grip I had on my glass tighten as we locked eyes. Surprisingly, a wide smile spread across her lips as she waved her hand towards me. I returned the smile, finding the strength to walk towards her. I rounded the tables and she stood up from her seat, the pale pink summer dress she was wearing showing off her curves and her legs in a way that made me internally groan.

"Tommy!" She said, opening her arms for a hug as I reached her. I set my drink on the table before bending to wrap my arms around her in a friendly hug. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders to return the motion and I couldn't help but notice the coconut scented shampoo on her hair and skin. She held on for a minute longer than I had expected before pulling away. "You look great!" She said brightly, looking me up and down. "I see you still like green." She gave me a small wink, gesturing at the light green blazer I was wearing over the white dress shirt I was wearing. I let out a chuckle, nodding.

"I figured it would be fitting since we were all going to be here tonight. I see I wasn't alone. You look beautiful." I replied. I saw a red tint fill her cheeks as she shook her head.

"I doubt that. I had to get changed here. My flight ended up delayed and I rolled into town with just enough time to get here before it started. Here, sit!" She pointed at the chair next to hers before sitting down again. I listened, sliding into the wooden chair.

"I didn't even know you were coming. Apparently, Aisha is good at keeping a secret." I stated, taking a sip of my drink.

"I wasn't planning on it. I wanted to save the time for the actual wedding. But I ended up with some free miles that were going to expire this weekend so I figured what the hell. I have to head back tomorrow night but I'm glad I could be here." Reaching over, she grabbed a glass of white wine and took a sip. "So, tell me about life! What's the infamous Tommy Oliver doing these days?" I scoffed.

"I don't think I would refer to myself as infamous." I leaned back in my chair. "I'm teaching science at Reefside High School." I replied.

"I heard you had gotten your doctorate. Dr. Oliver. That's got quite the ring to it. I'm sure Kat likes being a doctor's wife." She teased, wrinkling her nose at me over her wine glass.

"More like a doctor's ex-wife." I sighed, holding up my left hand to show the absence of my wedding ring. Her eyes widened as she set her glass down.

"Jesus Christ, I'm an ass. I'm so sorry, Tommy! What happened?" She asked, setting a hand on my arm. Remind me to get divorced more often.

"Nothing really. We just realized that it wasn't meant to be. It was something I think I knew the whole time but just didn't have the heart to tell her sooner."

"Are you alright?" Kim asked, looking concerned. I nodded.

"Yeah. I'm okay. It's been a while since I was single so it's taken some time to adjust but I'm sure I'll survive. Enough about me though. Tell me about you. How's Florida?"

"Hot and sticky. Every damn day. Even in December." She complained, letting her hand slowly pull back from me. "But everything else is great. Right now, I'm substitute teaching. It's until the school year starts and I'll have a permanent spot."

"You're going to be a teacher?" I asked. "What subject?"

"High school music." She replied. "I know. It's completely different from gymnastics but I think that's why. After I left the team, I just needed a fresh start and it was something I always thought about being when I was younger." She shrugged, running a hand through her hair. "I'm nervous but I think it'll be fun! How do you like teaching high school kids full-time?"

"Well," I smirked. "It's like having half a class of Trini and Billy and half a class of Bulk and Skull." She snorted, shaking her head. "But that's mostly my advanced paleontology class."

"Terrific. I mean, I subbed there until the end of the year in the position. The current teacher was out on medical and decided it was time to retire so they offered me the position. I'm excited but worried at the same time."

"Don't be worried. You'll be great. From all the time you spent working with kids when we were younger, I'm sure you can handle this."

"Thanks, Tommy. I sure hope so. How is work going? Do you enjoy it?"

"I guess so." I said. "I mean, I used to like it a lot more when I first started. But that was for some other reasons. I think I'm just in a rut, that's all." I drained the rest of my glass. "Would you like another drink?"

"Sure. I can't get too drunk though. Otherwise I'll miss an important call in the morning." She replied as I stood.

"Have to check in with the husband?" I asked, not glancing at her. She let out a loud chuckle.

"Husband? Yeah. Okay. No, I have to do an exit interview for my degree with my advisor. I'm not seeing anyone."

"Another drink coming right up."

Over the course of two hours, I sat and caught up with Kimberly. Unlike the awkwardness I thought would have been there, there was a familiarity in the air between us as we talked. She told me all about the Olympic games and how she placed silver twice and nabbed a gold in the last event. That's when she decided to retire. She started going to college after that and picked up subbing as a way to pay the bills in the meantime. She was still playing the guitar and singing when she could, practicing with her students. She really loved working with the kids, picking up a few favorites like most of us teachers do. She was living a normal life in Florida, minus having a relationship. We had touched on that briefly. She explained she had dated a couple guys along the way, one being more serious than the others but it never worked out for various reasons. The more we talked, the more we drank. I felt myself be at total ease when I'm around her and her laughter was enough to make any guy melt in their seat.

The rest of the guys had shown up after a while and we talked to them as well. They didn't stay with us too long though, looking to mingle. Even though I didn't want to admit it out loud, I was glad. I was soaking up as much of Kimberly's time as I could, like a thirsty plant waiting for water. For the first time in a long time, I found myself smiling without being able to stop. She told me stories about travelling abroad, talking about Greece and China, places she had gone for the games. She even told me about meeting famous athletes and President Obama when they came home from the last games she attended. I sat there in awe, listening to this amazing life she was living and realizing that it wouldn't have happened if she had stayed her with me. The anger I had felt before about her breaking up with me faded. It was selfish of me to think that her staying behind all those years ago would have been better for the both of us. She was an Olympic gold medalist and had a long list of accomplishments behind her that went well beyond that of being a Power Ranger. And I wasn't bitter anymore. I was honestly happy for her.

"So, Dr. Oliver." She said, a slight slur in her voice as she drained another glass of wine. "I think enough time as passed where you could tell me about a certain group of colorful superheroes that happened to be in Reefside." I raised an eyebrow at her.

"I have no idea what you're referring to." I replied, shrugging my shoulders. A grin tugged at the corner of my mouth that I tried to hide.

"Oh, fine. Jason already told me all about it though." She answered, rolling her eyes. I looked at her confused.

"He did? Why?"

"I asked him about it one of the last times I saw them. I figured it had something to do with you. Seemed like way too much of a coincidence."

"You asked Jason about me?" I asked, shooting her a sly grin. "They do have phone books and the internet, you know. You could have looked me up and called."

"And chance your wife answered? I'm sure Kat would have LOVED that. Besides, I wasn't sure if you would want to hear from me." She sighed, playing with the edge of her wine glass. "I wouldn't blame you either, you know. For hating me a bit."

"I don't hate you." I said softly. "I never have. Sure, I was angry and confused in the beginning and after a while, it was just confused. But I get it. We were kids. Long lasting love just doesn't happen when you're fifteen."

"For some people it does." She murmured, glancing over at Jason and Trini who were slow dancing on the dance floor. Aisha and Rocky were next to them, the four talking as they danced. I felt that familiar pang in my chest as we watched them. That pang that reminded me that this could have been us. That we could be married and starting a family by now. Did she ever think of things like that? As often as I do? Probably not. "I'm really sorry, Tommy."

"Hey." I said, reaching over and gripping the top of her hand. "It's ancient history, right? All that was a long time ago. If I'm over it, you should be over it, right?" She gave me a hesitant look, biting her lip. I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and smiled. Slowly, she returned it and squeezed my hand back.

"I've missed you." She said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's lonely down in Florida. Sometimes, I get a stray visitor like Zack or Adam while they are on tour but usually, it's just me. I've got some friends down there but nothing like what I had here. It's good to be back with everyone, even if it's for a little while."

"I'll come visit you." I said, leaning forward. Our hands were still together and the tipsy part of me refused to let go. She didn't move to end it either. "I have some time coming up anyway with the summer being here. Just let me know when works best for you."

"Really?" She asked. I nodded. "That would be fun! I could take you to all the sites. We could swim in the ocean. Try not to get eaten by a shark, okay?"

"I'll do my best." I responded, chuckling. From the corner of my eye, I spotted Billy jogging over to us. The former blue ranger had a digital camera in his hands and a big smile on his face.

"Hey. We're grouping together to facilitate a group picture." He said, stopping by our table. It didn't get passed me that he eyes our hands together before glancing between us. "Are you interested?"

"Sure!" Kim said, finishing the rest of her wine. Gazing over at me, she slowly slid her hand out of mine and grabbed her purse. I stood, holding my arm out to her as she did as well.

We followed after Billy as we headed towards the front of the reception hall. It took some fanagingly (mostly yelling) on Aisha's part to get us all where she wanted us before they were able to snap the picture. It was a lot of loud commotion and trying to get a shot where everyone was smiling and not blinking. Rocky and Jason kept making faces until Aisha and Trini threatened them with disfiguration of their manhood. Kim, Billy, and I snickered as we stood by, waiting for this to be over. I couldn't wait to get back to our table to talk to Kim more. We were really making a connection again, picking up on the chemistry we had as kids. If this went well, maybe I could talk her into a date or something while she was here. Might be a long shot but it was worth a try.

"Are we done?" Rocky whined, looking at his fiance. Aisha returned it with a glare and a sigh.

"Yes, you big baby. I swear to God, you will be the death of me yet." She rolled her eyes are the group disbanded. Kim reached over and grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"My ride to the hotel is here." She said, gazing up at me. I knew I frowned. I could feel it on my face.

"Oh. Well, maybe we could catch up tomorrow?"

"I have some things to do before my flight leaves." She replied. She opened up her purse as I felt heaviness on my chest.

"Well, it was nice seeing you again, Kim. We will need to exchange information if I'm going to come to Florida to see you."

"I thought we could talk about it," She pulled something out of her purse and pressed it into the palm of my hand. "Later tonight." Stepping away, she headed up the sidewalk towards the waiting car. I spotted Rocky loading her suitcase into the trunk of it. Glancing down, I saw I had a hotel key card in my hand. Looking back up, I saw Kimberly glance at me one last time before she climbed into the back of the car.

* * *

The anger flowed through me as I pushed the gas pedal down to the floor. The needles jumped, my engine roaring to life. Weaving in between cars on the interstate, I knew it was dangerous to drive like this but I didn't care. I was too fed up at this point. Lies. More fucking lies coming from people that were supposed to be my friends. If I end up with a ticket, maybe Jason and Trini will pay it for me for all the fucked up shit they just did to me.

"Not until Kim was ready for you to know."

Bullshit. It wasn't like it was some top secret government agency secret they were keeping here. How hard was it for them to tell me that Kimberly was back in town? Especially everything that has happened over the last few years. I know that splitting with Kat wasn't too big in their eyes but for me it was. Both of them knew what happened between Kim and I after that happened. How she just disappeared into thin air like nothing happened. He knew that. So did Trini. Both of them had said that they wished we were back together. So why on Earth would you not tell me that the love of my life had moved back to Angel Grove?

My tires squealed as I peeled off the interstate at exit 16, Angel Grove printed on the green sign in reflected white paint above it. I finally slowed down a little, not wanting to flip my jeep over in my rush. A man in a dark blue truck flipped me off as I passed him in the shoulder, me returning the favor as I did. Five miles down the road, the Welcome to Angel Grove sign appeared on the right side of the highway and I sped up again. I continued to pass cars in non-passing zones, keeping my eyes peeled for police as I did. Entering the actual city limits, sidewalks appeared and I searched like a hawk for anyone who might have been a petite brunette with a favoritism of pink.

Coming upon Angel Grove Park, I took a right and headed to Avery Avenue. I spotted the tall brownstone apartment building on the corner of Avery and Madison, the five story building being the tallest for at least a couple blocks. My jeep was barely at a stop against the curb in front of the building before I climbed out. Slamming the door shut, I took five long strides around it and headed for the glass front doors. Pulling on them, I found they were locked. Growling under my breath, I turned my attention to the intercom system by the door. I spotted Trini's last name by unit 4B and pressed the button next to it. It ranged, the sound crackling through the speaker on the wall.

"Hello?" Trini's voice said through it.

"Trini, it's Tommy." I said, putting my hands against the wall so I could lean forward. I heard her swear under her breath.

"Now isn't the best time, Tommy." She said. "I'm about to jump in the shower."

"I'm sure your new roommate can keep me company while I wait." I snapped. There was silence, the only sound coming from the crackling noise. "Trini, I know she's up there."

"Go home, Tommy." She stated. "Come back in a couple days when you calm down."

"Let me in, Trini." I said through gritted teeth. "I just want to see her."

"Not now. Go home before I call Jason." She shot back, dropping the connection through the speaker. I swore loudly, punching the brick wall. Someone walking by jumped out my outburst, their little dog barking loudly at me. I swore at them as well, causing them to walk faster. Putting my hands on my hips, I paced. I slammed my finger onto the button again but no one answered. I did it again and like before, it went to her voicemail. I went back to pacing, trying to figure out how I could scale the building up to the fourth floor without dying. Walking around the corner, I saw there was no fire escape that I could reach, the ladder folded up on the second floor landing. It was the same on the other side, the cast iron stairs just out of my reach. I walked back up front, running a hand through my hair.

"Oh, dear." An elderly woman's voice said behind me. Turning, I saw she was in the doorway of the building. She couldn't have been much taller than four feet, a big purple sweater over her little bent over frame and white hair combed neatly on her head. "I forget my keys sometimes too. Here you go." She said, smiling at me sweetly as she held the door open for me. I jogged forward, holding open the door. She stepped out, looking up at the sky. "Looks like rain!" She called before slowly shuffling up the sidewalk. I watched her go, making sure she would be alright before disappearing behind a park car.

Inside the building, I jogged through the lobby and passed the wall of brass mailboxes. I slammed my hand onto the elevator door and waited impatiently for the doors to open. A couple people came out when they did and I shoved my way into it. I pushed the fourth floor button and repeated press the close button until they slowly slid shut. As the elevator rose, I thought about what I would say to Kimberly. It was falling between the lines of "What the fuck did I do to deserve this?" and "I love you, please take me back." It might just come out a mixture of both. I was still trying to figure out how to handle Trini. I understood her wanting to stand up for Kimberly but she was my friend too. I didn't deserve to be flat out lied to, even if she wasn't trying to hurt me. I needed answers and I was going to get them.

The elevator doors opened on the fourth floor and I jogged out of them. Taking a left, I ran down the long beige colored hall until the white door with the brass 4B on it appeared. Raising my hand, I pounded my fist on it. On the other side, I could hear movement and I thought voices. I pounded again, placing my hands on either side of the door frame. "Trini!" I called. "Come on. Please just open the door."

"I called Jason. He's on his way." She called through the door.

"I don't care. I'm not leaving until I talk to her." I replied. There was some shuffling and I heard a metal sliding noise. The door opened slightly and Trini appeared there, a not amused expression on her face.

"You have to go." She said, her eyes narrowing. "She doesn't want to see anyone."

"Yeah, well she should have thought of that before, shouldn't she?" I asked, shoving the door open. She stumbled back a few steps, unable to stop me from entering. "Kim?" I called, walking up the hallway. I poked my head into the kitchen and the bathroom as I passed, not seeing her. I rounded the corner and saw that she wasn't in the bedrooms either. The doorway of the living room was at the end, telling me that was where she had to be. Taking a deep breath, I walked in and saw Kimberly standing by the window that overlooked the street. She didn't turn to look at me when I entered, her arms crossed over her chest. Her hair was shorter now than it had been the last time I saw her. It was cut short right above her shoulder and she seemed thinner as well, the grey sweatshirt she wore seeming to hang off her shoulders along with the black leggings she wore.

"Tommy!" Trini exclaimed, running into the living room behind me. "What the fuck has gotten into you? You need to leave. Now." She said, pointing at the door behind me. I shook my head, turning away from her.

"Kimberly?" I asked, stepping towards her. "Can I talk to you?" She didn't make a move to look at me, her vacant expression still looking out the window. "Kim?"

"She doesn't want to talk." Trini said, putting a hand on my arm. I pulled it away from her. Behind us, I heard Trini's front door open again.

"Trini?" Jason's voice called.

"I'm not going unless she tells me that!" I exclaimed. "Talk to me, beautiful." I said, reaching out a hand and touching her elbow gently. Kimberly flinched, nearly jumping out her skin to be out of reach of me. She finally turned to look at me, utter fear coming across her face as she did. I froze, unsure of what had happened. Was she afraid of me? I knew I came in here like a psycho but I didn't think I was that scary. "Kimberly? What's wrong?" I asked. She shrunk up against the wall, her eyes wide with fear. When she was far enough away, she bolted around me and into one of the bedroom doors. I moved to follow her but she slammed the door in my face.

"Lets go." Jason said behind me. I shook my head.

"No." I snapped. Raising my hands, I knocked on the door. "Kim! Talk to me. Please." I called through the door. I didn't hear anything on the other side; no movement no voices, no crying. Nothing. "Damn it, Kimberly! Come on." I slammed my palm down on the wood, the sting of tears in my eyes. This couldn't be happening again. Flashes to her leaving me for Florida came to mind and I shook my head.

"That's enough." Jason said, grabbing the collar of my shirt. He yanked my up the hall, me fighting against him. Looking up, I saw that Trini was standing outside of Kim's door looking up the hall at me. Jason opened the front door and the two of us found ourselves in the main hallway of the fourth floor. I stumbled backwards from him pulling me as he slammed the door shut behind us. "What the fuck has gotten into you?" He asked, putting his hands on his hips as he looked over at me.

"Fuck off." I seethed, cocking my fist back and popping him in jaw. The contact of his teeth with my knuckle split the skin, blood dripping down my fingers. He slammed back into the wall, holding his mouth.

"Bro, you've got no fucking clue what is going on." He said, standing up straight again. He winced when he licked his lip, a cut letting out a little blood in the corner of his mouth.

"No shit! You won't tell me anything." I snapped back. "If I just talk to Kim, I can-."

"You can't do anything, Tommy!" He shot back. "If you want to know so bad, stop being a prick and try to use your fucking brain." He grabbed the door knob and pulled the door open. "Google her for fuck's sake." He muttered, disappearing into the apartment. I heard the door lock behind him.


	3. Piece By Piece

**A/N: Hi guys! Here is chapter three. Like I said before, some things are answered in this chapter but you can't just assume everything after this. I promise, there is still many more layers to this short fic. As always, let me know what you think or drop me an idea for a one-shot.**

**I dedicate this chapter to HighffelFlower who continues to guess all of the answers to your questions. :) **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Power Rangers.**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**Piece By Piece**

**Reefside, California**

_**2018**_

The entire room around me seemed to vibrate as I berated the punching bag in front of me. The red tinted bag swung with each hit in an attempt to get out of my reach. Each punch sounded like a thud, coming in quick intervals. Sweat was pouring off of me, drenching the grey tank I was wearing and sending droplets into my eyes. I ignored the burning sensation, wanting to finish my round before stopping. The gloves on my hands made smacking noise when they made contact, echoing off the walls of my home gym. Music played into my ears from my headphones, putting me in the zone and helping me concentrate on the task at hand. The loud and roaring chords of a Shinedown song were blasting in my brain, pumping my adrenaline more with each hit.

_If you're ever in doubt_

_Don't sell yourself short, you might be bulletproof_

_Hard to move mountains when you're paralyzed_

_But you gotta try_

_And I'm calling out..._

_Get up, get up_

_Get a move on_

_Get up, get up_

_What's taking so long?_

_Get up, get up_

_Get a move on_

_Stop stalling, I'm calling out_

As I swung my arm the last time, the music abruptly stopped and there was a ringing. I was getting a phone call. Stopping, I glanced over at my call that was perched on a stool in the corner. The smiling face of Kimberly looked up at me, telling me that she was the one calling. Reaching up, I hit a button on the side of my right ear bud.

"Hey, beautiful." I said, kicking the punching bag. "How are you?"

"Hey! Frazzled. And you?" She responded and I could hear her let out a huff of air.

"Finishing up my work out. Hold on." I kicked five more times, ending with a roundhouse kick high up on the bag. I was panting now, my heart racing. Grabbing the towel that was on the stool, I wrapped it around my neck and wiped my face with the ends of it. "That's better. I told you to not wait to pack until last minute."

"I didn't. I've been packed for a couple days now. It's just some last minute stuff I need to do. Trying to figure out how I'm going to squeeze it all into the next eight hours before my flight." I loved hearing those words. Kimberly was coming back to Angel Grove. It was mostly for Aisha and Rocky's first wedding anniversary. There was a big party this weekend that Aisha made Kim promise she would come to. I thought it was a bit over the top for only the first year but I also knew a great deal of the reason she agreed to come was to spend time with me.

"You'll figure it out. You always do. Aisha wanted me to remind you to wear something nice for the party. She will murder the both of us if you forget." She sighed.

"Yeah. Yeah. It was the first thing I packed. I wasn't about to face the wrath of Aisha."

"Smart thinking." I took a gulp of water from the bottle that was next to my phone before pocketing my phone in my gym shorts. I walked out of the gym and headed down the stairs towards the bedroom.

"When are you heading out?" She asked. I heard things moving in the background, telling me she was still actively packing while we spoke.

"First thing in the morning. I'm picking you up at the airport and then heading over to Jason's. You sure you want to stay with Trini? There's always room." I suggested, trailing off as I headed to the fridge.

"Nice try, Tommy." She said. "I already told you. No funny business until after the party. I don't want to take any thunder away from Aisha and Rocky."

"Can't blame a guy for trying." I replied, grabbing an ice cold bottle of beer from the top shelf of the fridge. I bumped the door shut with my hip and walked to the living room.

"I know. Besides, we haven't really discussed anything. Let's not count are chickens before they hatch."

"I think you've been hanging out in the retirement part of Miami too long." I said, smirking as I popped the top of my beer off. I took a swing, enjoying an ice cold beer. I knew she was right. Granted, we had slept together the last time she was here and we've been in contact nonstop since she left for Florida again, the topic of getting back together hasn't come up as detailed as it should. Every time I try to, she says we should wait until we're face to face. I had spent a week down there last summer like I promised but Billy had accompanied me, leaving us little time to spend together alone. I was supposed to head down there around Christmas time but Ranger duties ended up keeping me here. This was the only chance she had at coming back up here again and I wasn't about to blow it.

"Says the one that pops and creaks more than I do when he stands up from the couch." She said sweetly. I smirked.

"Hey, that's due to many years of service. They're battle wounds." I retorted. She let out a little giggle.

"Sure thing, Dr. Oliver." My cell vibrated in my ear. Pulling it away, I hit the speaker button on the screen so I could see what the alert had been. "I sent you a little something."

"I just got it. Can I open it now or should I wait?" I asked, pulling down the notification bar. I saw it was a photo attachment in a text message from her. Excited hope prickled across my skin.

"You can peek at it now. It's gonna have to hold you over until I can get you alone." I felt my heart skip a beat as the blood started to follow to another part of my body. I squirmed in my seat as I opened the message quickly.

"Damn, Beautiful." I groaned, taking in the sight of Kimberly. She was laying on her bed, sprawled out. She was on her stomach and I could tell, even through the white sheet that was pooled in front of her breast, that she was naked. Her back and bottom were bare and she wrinkled her nose at the camera like the way she does when she laughs. The near summer sun had been nice to her, the tan complexion of her skin making her glow. "We might need to find somewhere to stop on the way back from the airport if you keep this up." She laughed.

"I told you. Not until after the party." She replied. "Besides, there might be a couple more coming." As she said that, more appeared. The next one, she was laying on her side and I could see her beautiful perky breasts over the top of the sheets. The one after that, she was laying on her back and I could see her fully exposed body. The lower part of my body was now alert and prepared to stand for attention. The final picture was of her leaning up against the wooden headboard of her bed, her knees bent out in front of her. It gave the most wonderful view of the area between her legs, perfectly trimmed hair leading to a space I was hoping to dive into at some point this week. "Tommy? Are you still there?"

"Yup. Just trying to get enough blood flowing to my head." I replied, ogling the pictures again. "You look gorgeous, Kim. I can't wait to see you."

"I can't wait to see you either, Handsome. I even have a few more surprises for you."

"If they're anything like this, I might die of a heart attack while you're here." I replied, letting out a chuckle. She laughed, the sound warming my heart. I couldn't wait for her to be here, in my arms where she was supposed to be. "Are they frilly and pink?"

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see."

"Now that's just pure torture. Miss Hart. I suppose I can do that though." Sighing, I brought my phone back up to my ear and turned the speaker phone function off. "How is school going?"

"Great! I mean my boss isn't too thrilled I'm taking off before the end of the year concert but he'll have to deal with. There is only so much you can teach kids about singing when all they care about is the upcoming summer vacation."

"I hear that." I replied, snorting. "My students give me blank stares like I asked them to discover rocket science. Most of them are checked out already. Regardless of the fact it's only April."

"Anything on the whole dojo thing yet?" She asked and I heard her swear under her breath. "Sorry. I'm looking for something and I can't seem to find it."

"I'm sure it'll turn up." I reassured her. "And the whole dojo thing is at a slow stand by. Just waiting to get the lease agreement back from the landlord. Once that goes into place, I can start working on my business license then I will be good to go."

"That's so exciting! I'm so happy for you, Tommy. I know you don't want to leave the school but I think this will be a great thing for you." She said, happiness in her voice. I could picture her smile, wide, across her lips.

"I hope so. When you get here, I'll take you to the location and show you around. I've already ordered things for the gym so I'm hoping the agreement comes through sooner or later. As it is, my garage looks like the proper room for a Bruce Lee movie."

"I can only imagine." She replied. "It'll happen. You've worked so hard at this. I am so proud of you."

"Thanks but I couldn't have done this without you supporting me. Granted, Jason and Rocky were big supporters too but you were the one who really motivated me into doing this. Now, if you could just break the news to the school for me, I'd appreciate it." We both laughed as I drained the beer from the bottle. I set the empty on the table in front of me.

"Nice try. I think that's one more thing you gotta do on your own. But, I can help you come up with a letter this week if you'd like."

"Sure." I glanced at the clock. It had to be nearing midnight on her side of the country, my clock saying it was getting closer to nine. "I should probably let you go. I'm sure you have a lot to do before your flight in the morning."

"That I do but I don't mind putting it off to talk to you."

"I'm flattered but I'd hate for you to miss your plane. I'd rather you be here in person than a voice in my ear."

"Alright, alright." She agreed. "I have to finish getting the rest of my shit together anyway so I won't be rushing tomorrow. I'll call you when I board the plane, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good night, Tommy." Her sweet voice said in my ear, a warm feeling behind it that made me smile. This time tomorrow, she would be here and I could see her with my own two eyes.

"Good night, Beautiful. I'll see you tomorrow."

**Angel Grove, California**

_**2019**_

Surprisingly to no one, I was still fuming by the time I wiped into the driveway of my house. This house was smaller than the one I had in Reefside; a modest three bedroom that had two floors. It was an off white color on the outside, dark red shutters on the windows. There was a small porch on the front of the house, a swing set up on it that hung from the ceiling. I parked my jeep in front of the garage, it too full of boxes still for me to be able to park there yet. I slammed the door shut behind me as I headed to the side door that faced the driveway. Unlocking it, I headed inside and found myself in my laundry room. The smell of laundry detergent greeted me and I remembered I had put some clothes in before heading to work this morning. I walked right on by the dryer, not caring about my laundry as I entered the dining room. It was a decent size room with a table and chairs set up in the middle of it. The walls were painted a soft gray color with white trim. It had been like that when I moved in and I haven't gotten around to repainting yet.

Tossing my things on the table, I walked into my kitchen. The walls here were covered in a dark wood panelling and the cabinets were a light brown color to match. On the floor, there was white tiles and it made the room feel cleaner than it really was. I opened the stainless steel fridge door and grabbed a bottle of beer from the top shelf. Popping the top, I tossed the cap into the sink and took a long pull from the long neck. Wiping my mouth with the back of my other hand, I stared into space.

"Google her."

Well, what the fuck was that supposed to mean? Did Jason not think that I hadn't done that in the past six months trying to track Kim down? I had, numerous times. I had searched for her, her address, her phone number. Anything that would help me find out where she was and how I could get in contact with her to find out what had happened. Nothing out of the ordinary had ever popped up. In fact, nothing really popped up in general at all. At least that I could tell. What was going to be so different now? Had I missed something in my search of her? Heading into the living room, I jogged up the steps that led to the second floor. Here, I walked into the first room on the left which I had transformed into my home office. Well, if you wanted to call it that. It was more like a storage room trying to disguise itself as an office. There was a wooden desk in the corner with my desktop computer on it. The rest of the room was filled with equipment I had used when I was leading the Dino Thunder team. It wasn't anything dangerous, just technically equipment I had no clue what to do with. I had offered it to Billy but he had no use for it. I couldn't bring myself to just toss it, fear that something might come up where it would be needed again. Was this how those cases of hoarding on those trashy reality shows start?

Sitting down at the computer, I fired it up and sat back in the chair. I would google her again. I knew nothing was going to pop up and I knew I was going to be angrier than I was right now. In the last twenty years of my life, I can't recall ever feeling this mad. Not even when Kim stood me up at the airport or broke up with me. That was different. That was being broken hearted. This was rage that would build up and then die down every now and then. I wanted to punch Jason in the face again for lying to me and I wanted to rip Trini a new one for not telling me what was going on. Then, I wanted to yell at Kimberly until she finally told me what happened. None of that would help me though, seeing as she had hid in her room the moment she saw me and Trini and Jason were on me faster than I could blink.

Why had she run? Was she that embarrassed about what had happened? I imagined I would be too if I had done what she had done. Twice. But why run? A guilty feeling started to sink into my chest. Had I scared her? I had barged in like a bat out of hell. Had I scared her into thinking I was going to harm her or Trini? If I had, she was stupid for thinking that. She knew I would never lay a hand on her or Trini or any girl for that matter. Jason was a different story but I could never hurt Kimberly. Fear that I hadn't been the one who had hurt her started to creep into the back of my mind but I shoved it away. If anything like that had happened to her, Jason would have told him and the both of them would have gone to kick some serious ass. Jason would never not tell him if someone was hurting Kim. That much I knew for sure. He loved her like a sister and between the both of us, we could wipe out any one who was trying to harm her. What ever had to have happened, it had something to do with what had happened between us. About why she hadn't come like she was supposed to and why she suddenly disappeared off the face of the Earth.

Once the screen was loaded, I opened the internet browser and went to the main page for Google. The cursor blinked in the box when it loaded. I typed in Kimberly's name, first and last, and hit search. The screen changed and immediately, search results appeared on the screen. I saw images of her at the Olympics, holding her medals. There were links for her to the national website for the organization. I scrolled down, seeing the same information that had been there a few months ago when I last checked. What had Jason meant? Was there something I wasn't connecting together?

As I went to click off of the screen, something on the bottom caught my eye. Shifting my eyes, I saw it was a link for a newspaper article. There was a small blurry picture of someone in a hospital bed and in the blue headline next to it, the words '_**Olympian Recovering From Gunshot Wound**_' read out. Furrowing my brow, I clicked on the article. It took forever to load it seemed as I leaned forward in my desk. When it finally did, I saw that the picture was right underneath the headline for the Miami Herald paper. It was Kimberly laying in a hospital bed, her eyes closed as she laid there. Confusion set in as I attempted to scroll down to read more. A pop up flashed on the screen, telling me I would need to buy a subscription to read the article. I tried clicking off of it but it wouldn't let me, blurring the words to the story. Growling under my breath, I clicked back and went up to the search bar again. This time, I typed in her name followed by the word 'shot.' It made my skin crawl to think of but when it loaded, I saw there were dozens of links that all said the same thing in the title, 'Kimberly Hart, gold medalist, shot.'

"What the fuck." I muttered, clicking on another link. It was for a national news outlet and it loaded, not blocking the story. I saw the same picture as before, a picture of her being presented her medal next to it. Scrolling down frantically, I read through the first paragraph.

'_Olympic gold medalist, Kimberly Hart, was wounded yesterday during the school shooting of Open Doors Academy in Miami, Florida. Hart, who placed first and second in the floor routine of the gymnastics portion of the 2008 Olympics, is a music teacher at the high school. Authorities say Hart was fleeing out a second story window when the alleged gunman, nineteen year old Alex Cruzman, shot her. She fell out the window where two students pulled her to safety. She's currently listed in critical condition_.'

I didn't bother to read the rest of the story. The words school shooting made the bile in my stomach rise. There had been a shooting at her school? How had I not known that? Checking the date of the story, I saw it was the day Kimberly was supposed to be flying back to Angel Grove. I opened up a new tab and went to Google again, this time putting the school name in the bar. It loaded, showing results of this school year's football team and how the track team was doing a fundraiser for their trip to DC. It wasn't until the bottom of the first page that I came across any information about the shooting. I clicked on the article and it brought me to CNN where there was a small blurb about it under a picture of the front of the school.

'_Authorities are reporting of a minor school shooting on the campus of Open Door Academy. Reports are coming in that three students have been killed, including the gun men. Five people have been wounded. More information will be available as we learn more_.'

Minor school shooting? The teacher part of me felt beyond irritated. This was why I hadn't heard anything about the shooting. The news had a habit of treating the shootings that didn't fall under the headline of mass as no big deal. This shooting had taken place just miles from the site of the Parkland shooting, it over shadowing it. This was something we were trained about back at Reefside. Last year alone, there have been so many reports of school shootings that it was becoming a normal sight in the headlines. This caused people to almost be numb to the whole ordeal. It was why I hadn't thought much about it when I probably heard it on the news that day. I had been sidetracked in finding out whether her plane had crashed or if she had been in a car accident. I went back to the page that was written about Kimberly and read on.

'_The thirty four year old Olympic athlete started teaching at the high school just a year and a half ago. Students at the school were quoted, saying that Hart is one of the best teachers they've ever had. Student, Nick Thomas, stating, 'Miss Hart always makes sure that we have everything we need to learn. Whether it's a ride to school or a pencil for a test, she was always the first person so many of us could depend on.' Thomas went on to say that Hart was helping other students flee from the gunman in the hallway. Authorities are waiting for Hart to be in stable condition before questioning her about the situation_.'

It felt like someone was pouring ice water down the back of my shirt and I read through more articles about it. There wasn't much to find. A lot of the articles were more concerned about the distance between the school and Parkland and how the kid who had done the deed had been infatuated with the shooting after it occurred. He had ended up killing himself before the police could catch him, his mother reporting to the local news station that she didn't know what had caused her son to do it but that he was 'a naturally good boy.' I shook my head at that one, trying not to let my rage build up any more. I also saw more information about the two students that had been killed. One was a senior by the name of Paige Martin. She had been a blonde cheerleader that reportedly had ties with the gunman. The other kid had been a sophomore by the name of Caleb Tanner. I didn't find much about him, just that he was a quiet kid who liked computers.

There weren't a lot of answers to be had. I searched for hours, trying to figure out the extent of her injuries and if she had required life saving surgery. There was nothing though, no answers there. I even tried calling the news station that had reported to CNN but the person who answered told me it was in their archives and to search their website. I slammed the phone down onto the top of the desk and leaned back in my chair. So, I didn't know much but I did know this; Kimberly didn't come back to Angel Grove because she was recovering from a gunshot wound and it seemed like she hadn't returned back to teaching after that.

But why had she waited so long to come back here to Angel Grove?

And why wasn't she talking to me?"


	4. Speechless

**A/N: Here's another chapter. Hope you guys are enjoying!**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

_**Speechless**_

**Angel Grove**

_**2019**_

There was no sleep to be had that night. I had tried but ended up back in front of my computer screen, trying to find more answers to the questions I had. I had thought about calling Jason to ask him but I knew it'd be pointless. Not only was he probably still pissed at me for barging into his girlfriend's apartment and punching him, he wouldn't tell me anything if Kim didn't want him to. No, this was something I was going to need answers to in person. I didn't care if Kimberly didn't want to talk to me because she thought I was mad or something. I needed to know. I needed to know what happened and that she was okay. The past didn't matter right now. All that did matter was for me to know that she was alright and that she didn't have any long standing medical issue due to her wound.

I showered quickly and changed into a white t-shirt in jeans. I called Rocky to let him know I wasn't going to be there for classes this morning. He had tried to ask me for some details about Kim's comeback but I was quick to let him go. I didn't even have any answers to give him. Grabbing my leather jacket, I pulled it on and headed out to my jeep. Climbing in, I glanced at my cell in my hand for a moment. Sighing, I dialed Jason's number. It rang twice before he answered.

"Hey there, Macho Man." He said, a tone of amusement in his voice. "Hope your knuckles feel better than my face does this morning."

"They're a little sore." I replied. "Jase, I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean it, man." There was silence between us for a moment before he sighed.

"You know, don't you?" He asked.

"I did what you told me to do." I answered, staring out the windshield at my garage. "A school shooting? What the hell."

"I know. I didn't believe it at first either when Trini told me. Listen, I still can't say too much about it. That's what Kimberly told Trini that she wanted. If you want answers, you're gonna have to wait for her to be ready. And I'm not quite sure when that will be. She's been through a lot."

"I know. I know. I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. And the punch." He scoffed.

"Please. You did a lot worse when we were kids and I thought you hit like a girl back then." He laughed. I chuckled, shaking my head. This was why Jason was my best friend. I knew I could count on him, even when I'm the biggest ignorant asshole on the planet. He didn't deserve the shit I put him through and I was definitely going to owe him a beer or two soon.

"Are the girls home?" I asked.

"Don't do it, dude." He replied. "Trini already said if you show up today, she's going to kick your ass. And I believe it."

"I just want to go over and apologize. Maybe let Kim know that I'm here if she needs someone to talk to."

"Right." He said, letting out a puff of air. "I'm not going to stop you but if Trini beats your ass, I don't want to hear it."

"I more than deserve it at this point." I replied, starting the engine of my jeep. "Want to grab a beer later?"

"Sure. I'll call you when I'm free. Just don't piss Trini off too much. I wouldn't want to have to bury your body somewhere tonight. Sounds like too much work for me."

"Yeah, yeah. See you then." I said before hanging up the phone. Carefully. I pulled out of my driveway and into traffic. It was moderately light, the Saturday morning laziness seeming to come over everyone. I figured it was still a bit too early for people to be up and moving around yet, the clock on my stereo showing only 8 am. I found it funny that when I was a kid, being up at 8 am on a Saturday sounded like the worst thing ever. Now, I rarely slept in past 8:30 even on days when I have nothing going on. Some might call it becoming an adult, I call it just plain getting old. Either way, when I do manage to sleep that late, it's mostly due to alcohol or some kind of Ranger activity that has kept me out late.

Trini's building came into view and I pulled into the visitor section of the parking lot on the side of the building. Some might find it odd that Trini and Jason aren't married yet. Especially since they've been together for almost ten years now. It's mostly due to Jason's time in the military. He enlisted after his time on the Zeo team, wanting to do his part to serve the country in other ways that didn't involve Zords. Him and Trini were a new couple then, her starting her Master's degree at UCLA. He went off to training and she stayed her. After that, he was deployed overseas.

First, it was a six month stint in Berlin where he was an MP (Military Police) patrolling bases there. After that, he headed into combat in Afghanistan. I gotta admit that hearing he was going there scared the shit out of me. I was confident in his ability to hold his own but it wasn't the same as fighting monsters here. You can tell who the monster usually is when Rita sends them after you. Over there, it could be any man, woman, or child that had a hidden assault rifle or a bomb strapped to them. Trini wasn't thrilled he was there either but she was supportive. He managed to get leave in time to come watch her graduate but he was back before her classes even started for her doctorate. He was promoted through the ranks, becoming Captain Jason Scott in about a year. He led many men into war zones and saved just as many lives.

Jason was just shy of thirty when a change in policies under a new president found him facing deployment again. By then, he had a nice comfy recruitment job where he was able to stay here in the states. They wanted to send him south where the issues with the border and a certain structure our President was determined to build were building tension more than anything that resembled a wall. He went for about six months before deciding it was time to retire. When he put his papers in, he was asked to maintain his recruitment job in Los Angeles for a couple years until they could find a more qualified replacement for him. He agreed, knowing he could settle down with Trini finally. That was about a year and a half ago. Their version of settling down is living together most of the time. He has times where he needs to be on base for a few days or weeks. There hasn't been talk of a wedding or even an engagement yet but knowing them two, it would be a spur of the moment adventure.

I spotted Trini's Ford Focus in the parking lot, telling me she was still home. Chances are, she didn't have work today. Trini was currently working as an engineer at a local firm. She tries to explain to me all the time what the hell she actually does but it's a bit above my pay grade. All I know is that her and Billy work together and the two of them seem to talk in gibberish when they discuss work at get togethers. It's best practice to just slowly walk away when that happens or else you'll be lost.

Undoing my seat belt, I slowly climbed out of my jeep and shut the door. I wasn't quite sure why I was dragging my feet. Was it because of the fact I knew now? Or the way I had acted yesterday? I did felt guilty about that, my rage coming off as a dick move. Still, I had no idea what had happened at that point so hopefully Kim wouldn't hold that against me. Or Trini for that matter too. Jason was right about her possibly kicking my ass when I knock on her door. I was surprised she hadn't done it last night.

I walked over to the door and saw it was propped open by a moving company that was unloading a truck that was parked along the curb. I slipped by them, noticing a pile of boxes by the elevator. I decided to take the stairs, needing the time to calm my nerves. God only knew how well this was going to go. Rounding the corner on Trini's floor, I stopped at her door. Raising my hand, I knocked. There was some shuffling on the other side of it for a moment before it opened a couple inches. The irritated face of Trini greeted me, her long black hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"Nope. Get out of here." She said, glaring at me. "After the stunt you pulled yesterday, you're lucky I don't have Jason and Rocky beat your ass, Tommy."

"I know. I'm really sorry, Trini. I came to apologize to you and Kimberly. Can I come in, please?"

"No. Kim is sleeping and you're not waking her up. I will call you when she's ready to see you." She moved to close the door but I stopped it with my boot.

"I know about the shooting, Trini." I said softly. Trini's hard expression softened for a moment as she gazed at me. I could tell she was pondering her options, wondering if she should let me in or not. "I read about it online."

"I figured as much." She said, letting out a sigh. "You've got five minutes. And be quiet too. I don't want to wake her up." Trini opened the door and walked up the hallway towards the kitchen. I stepped in, closing the door behind me before following her. Inside of the kitchen, she grabbed a cup of coffee that had steam coming from the hot liquid. I could tell she had just poured it, the milk not mixed in all the way. She stirred it with a plastic spoon before taking a sip. Bringing the cup back down so she could rest her arm on the counter, she looked over at me. I leaned against the counter, crossing my arms.

"What happened?" I asked.

"She was shot, Tommy." She replied. I moved to make a sarcastic comment but decided against it. My mission was to not piss Trini off. That would guarantee that that happens. She took another sip of her coffee and set the cup down on the counter. "I don't even know all the details. All I know is that a couple days after it happened, her mother called and told me what had happened to her. I offered to fly down there but she told me not to worry. Then, about a week ago, her mother called me again and asked if Kim could come stay with me here until her mother could come pick her up. She's supposed to be coming in a few weeks to bring her back to France."

"How bad were her injuries?" I asked, trying not to think of the fact she said Kim was going to another country.

"She had a broken collar bone from the fall. The bullet went right through her side, thankfully just missing any important organs. She was in the hospital for about two weeks."

"Two weeks?" I asked, confused. Even while on the team, injuries like that wouldn't hold us up for that long. "Were there complications or something?"

"Not exactly. It's complicated, Tommy. I told you that. It's a lot more than just what happened to her. Physically, I mean. It's hard to explain." She ran a hand through her bangs and let out a small sigh.

"If I can talk to Kim, maybe she can explain it to me." I suggested. Trini shook her head. "Oh, c'mon, Trini. At least let me try. I get she doesn't want to talk to me-."

"It's not that she doesn't want to talk to you. It's the fact she isn't talking to anyone." Trini explained, letting her hands fall. I looked at her, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that Kimberly has spoken a word since the shooting."

"Is it because of her injuries? Did her vocal cords get damaged or something?" I asked. She shook her head.

"No. That's why she was in the hospital for so long. She had to see the psychologist there to figure out why she wasn't talking."

"Did they?"

"No. They released her and she was staying with her aunt. Her aunt told me that she didn't follow up with the therapy or anything like she was supposed to." Trini crossed her arms. "It's like she doesn't want to get better."

"So, she just hasn't said anything? At all?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around what she was saying.

"No." She replied. Trini's attention went to something behind me and she suddenly looked guilty. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that Kimberly was standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Her hair was tucked up in a messy ponytail and she had on an old t-shirt with a pair of pink shorts. Tucked into her elbow was some kind of board and she glanced between Trini and I. "I'm sorry. He knows about what happened. I didn't want to wake you." Trini said. Kim shifted and pulled the board out from her elbow. I noticed there was a marker attached to it was a string. Pulling the cap off of it, she scribbled on the white board.

'It's okay,' was scrawled across it. She wiped it clean with the bottom of her shirt and wrote something else. 'Let us talk.'

"Are you sure?" Trini asked. Kim nodded, glancing at me for a moment. Trini looked between the two of us for a minute before grabbing her coffee cup. "I'll be in the living room if you need anything, alright?" Kim nodded as Trini walked out of the room, sending me one last warning look before disappearing. Kim set the board down on the counter next to the coffee pot and grabbed a clean cup from the cabinet above it. I watched as she grabbed another, motioning it towards me. I shook my head.

"No, thank you." I said. Kim shrugged her shoulders and put the other cup back before pouring coffee into hers. She put some sugar into the cup before grabbing the milk from the fridge. She stirred it with the same spoon Trini had used, glancing over at me for a brief second. Grabbing the board, she wiped it clean and wrote on it. She held it up over her shoulder without looking at me.

'Ask already.' She wrote.

"Ask what?" I asked, a nervousness coming over me. Turning, she rolled her eyes and pointed at herself. "Oh. Right. What happened?" She took a sip of her coffee with one hand and with the other, she made a gun shape. She pointed it at herself and jerked her arm, signalling it going off. She smirked at me over her cup of coffee. I shot her a glare, shaking my head. "That isn't funny, Kim." She rolled her eyes and set her coffee down so she could pick up her board. She wrote for a couple moments before turning it to me.

'School shooting. I'm fine. Relax.'

"Fine? I don't think you giving the world the silent treatment counts as fine." I replied.

'I'm taking a vow of silence to become a monk.' She scribbled on the board. I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Good to see that you still have that dark sense of humor to deal with shit you don't want to deal with." I muttered. "Fine. We don't have to talk about that. Tell me about the shooting." She held the board for a moment, looking into space before writing. I stood there in anticipation as I waited. Finally, she turned the board back towards me.

'I didn't get out the window fast enough. Kid shot me and I fell out. I'm okay.'

"What were you even doing there? You were supposed to be on your flight here."

'Forgot something on my desk.' She scribbled back and I noticed that she fidgeted with the pen while I read it, an anxious expression on her face. She cleared off the board. 'I'm sorry I didn't make it. I know you were looking forward to it.'

"That doesn't matter." I said, softly, stepping towards her. "Why didn't you tell me what happened? I could have been there. I would have run there if I needed to. You needed me." She shook her head, frantically writing on the board. "You needed to be here." I read out loud. "Bullshit. You are more important than anything here."

'You couldn't save me.' She wrote and I felt a pang in my chest. She was right. If I had gone down there, I would have done everything I could to try and save her from whatever was going on. But still, I would have wanted to be there with her. I could have taken care of her.

"So, what now? You're going to France?" Kim shook her head quickly.

'My mother wants me to but I'm not going.' She underlined the word 'not' multiple times. 'She doesn't think I should be here right now.'

"Because you're not talking." I added. Kim nodded, putting her hands next to her sides. I didn't want to admit it but her mother had a point. How does someone who isn't able to talk going to make it alone? I was also thrilled to hear she didn't want to go. There was a possibility that she wanted to stay here in Angel Grove. Trini would be willing to let her stay here and if not, I had an extra bedroom and would be willing to take care of her for as long as necessary. Even if it meant forever.

'Did you open the dojo?' She asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Huh?" I asked. "Oh. Yeah. I did." I gave her a small smile. "I can bring you by sometime to see it. I got that building I wanted. Rocky's been helping me."

'I'd like that.' She replied, smiling at me. 'You shouldn't have punched Jason.'

"I know. I apologized to him this morning. I'm sorry about yesterday. I was upset when I found out that you were back and no one told me. I was an asshole. I'm sorry. I didn't know."

'It's okay.' She wrote back. 'He'll live.' I snorted.

"Yeah. He already told me I still punch like a girl. Of course, Trini scares me more than Jason does. I thought she was going to hand my ass to me when I knocked on the door."

'She wanted to.' Kim scribbled.

"I don't blame her." I sighed. "Why aren't you going to therapy? After everything that's happened, you need to." She shook her head.

'No, I don't. I'm fine.'

"Kim-." She underlined the 'I'm fine' part of her message and slammed her marker on it.

'I'm NOT going.' She wrote under it. 'I mean it.' I could tell from the look on her face that she was done discussing that topic. I scratched the top of my head, trying to figure out what to say to her. How could she think she didn't need therapy? If there wasn't anything physically wrong with her that's causing her not to speak, it had to be psychological. Wouldn't she want to figure it out? I couldn't understand why she would want to live like this. I felt like I was having a one-sided conversation with the white board.

"Do they know why the kid did it?" I asked, softly. Kim shook her head, writing on the board.

'No but he was bullied a lot.'

"Jesus." I whispered. It was a common theme in these school shootings. I couldn't tell you how many times we had heard the lecture at work about if we see something, say something. I've stopped kids from bullying but teachers can only do so much. It goes beyond the school most of the time with the help of the internet and social media these days. It was easier for a kid to be a target when the bully is hiding behind a computer screen or a phone. "Why didn't you contact me during all this time?"

'It was easier.' She wrote, a look of guilt coming over her beautiful features. As I looked at her now, I could see where she had aged some since the last time I had seen her. There were small wrinkles in the corners of her mouth and a dullness to her hair. No doubt from the stress and trauma from the incident. But I could still the Kim I loved. She was still there, hidden beneath the surface. I thought back to the time when I had just joined the Rangers and we were getting to know each other. Happiness came to her with ease then, even facing off against monsters or putties or even Rita herself. Kim had always managed to be the passionate optimist on the team, keeping spirits up when she could. Her favorite saying then was that we could do anything that we put our minds to as long as we believed in ourselves. It was something that she had learned from Zordon who had drilled it into our heads in the beginning. She kept to that, especially after her parents divorced and she was lost in what to do in life. She never let the faith in herself or the world waiver.

That wasn't the same Kim I was looking at now though. There was no sparkle in her eye or hidden smile to be found in the corner of her mouth. The air around her just hung heavy with sadness to the point I thought the walls around us might cry. There was sadness and anger, the ladder of the emotions seeming to hide just under her skin. I recognized it on her face each time I mentioned what had happened to her. Kim was broken. I could see that now. She might have healed from her physical injuries, the scars the only proof of what had happened to her. There was something much deeper broken and torn in side of her. Something right down in her soul that wasn't allowing her to be herself.

And I had to fix it.

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**Hey guys. I hope it didn't get too confusing trying to tell the difference between Tommy talking and Kim writing on the board. Please let me know if it is so I can fix it. Thanks!**


	5. How Not To

**Chapter 5**  
_**How Not To**_

_Angel Grove_

_2018_

Tucking the parking permit pass into the fold of my wallet, I jogged across the crosswalk that led to the front doors of the airport. People were bustling in and out of the building, trying to carry luggage and flag down taxis at the curb. I flagged one down for an older woman who was having an issue, her face lighting up as the bright yellow car pulled up to the curb.

"Thank you!" She exclaimed, putting a hand over her chest. "I thought for sure I was invisible for a second."

"No problem." I said cheerfully. I gave her a wave before nearly skipping into the door. It was no secret I was excited about today. I had barely slept, jumping out of bed the moment my alarm went off. I've been waiting for this day for almost two years now. It was the day Kimberly was coming back to not only Angel Grove but to me. Nothing could ruin this feeling I had inside of me, knowing that in just about an hour, she was going to be standing here in front of me. I could finally tell her how I truly felt and how much I wanted to be with her. We were finally going to have our chance and nothing was going to come between us again.

I went through the security protocol to get to the waiting area. People were milling around, killing time before their planes came in. This was the area where little stores and a couple eateries were set up. I spotted a newspaper stand that was selling flowers in front of it. Grabbing my wallet from my pocket, I walked over to the stand and took a closer look at the selection. On the bottom, I saw a bouquet wrapped in green tissue paper, pink and white roses inside of it. I smirked at how fitting it was as I carefully pulled it from its holder. Placing it on the counter, I smiled at the younger guy working the register.

"Hello. That'll be $54.99." He said, ringing the price into the machine. I handed him my credit card and he slid it through the slot on the side of the register. It beeped a few times, printing out a receipt.

"These are for the love of my life." I said, unable to stop myself. I felt a little foolish for saying it but the smile on my face told a different story. "She's coming to see me after two years apart."

"Congrats. Sign this please." The guy said, slapping the slip on the counter. I scribbled my signature on it and slid it back towards him.

"Have a great day." I said, smiling at him before walking back towards the seating area. I spotted a cluster of chairs that were empty and I sat down, glancing at my watch. Her plane was set to arrive a little before noon, no delays marked on the board above my head. Butterflies flew around my stomach as I tried to settle into my seat. I set the flowers in the chair next to me, making sure not to harm them in any way. I'd hate to give her roses that weren't perfect. And they did cost me $55 at the airport. I'm still a teacher on a teacher's salary. That wasn't just pocket change.

As I sat, I thought about what I would say to her when I saw her. I knew I was going to kiss her. There was no way I wasn't going to. Unless she told me no, I was going to show her just how happy I was to see her. Maybe we would leave the airport and stop somewhere for lunch. We could catch up, talk like we had discussed before. It could be a done deal by the time we even reached Trini's house. I know she wanted to wait until after the party to talk details and I was willing to wait. I needed to let her know how much I loved her though as soon a possible. I felt like a little kid trying to hold a secret. I wanted to blurt it out to the world how much I was in love with her. If it wasn't too much of a taboo, I would propose to her right here in this airport the moment I see her. I knew that would be too quickly for her though, especially after the gap between us being together. I had to take things slow but I knew that if she agreed to be with me again, that was where our future was going to head. Tommy and Kimberly, together forever. Somewhere in Angel Grove park, that was carved into a tree. I would have to freshen it up once we were official again.

After forty-five minutes of fidgeting and checking the board, I was relieved to see that her plane would be arriving within the next ten minutes. A woman in her sixties sat down in the seat on the other side of the flowers, a large purse in her hands. She had short grey hair and was rather thin looking in the large brown shawl she was wearing over a pair of jeans and a grey blouse. She gave me a smile when she saw me glancing at her.

"Those are beautiful flowers." She said, gesturing towards them. "I take it you're waiting for someone?"

"Thank you. Yes, I am. My girl is flying home for the week." I replied, proud to brag about it to someone.

"Good for you! Are you two married?" She asked. I shook my head.

"No. We've actually just recently started talking again over the past two years. We dated when we were younger and drifted apart. We found each other again at a wedding and now she's coming back to hopefully make us work again." I explained. I wasn't sure why I was spewing our story to a stranger but it flowed out like water from a garden hose.  
"How sweet. How long have you two known each other?"

"Since we were kids. I've been in love with her since I was fifteen." I smiled, thinking back to the first time I had ever seen Kimberly. "She's everything to me."

"She's a lucky girl then. I hope everything works out for the two of you. It's not every day you meet someone who makes you feel that way. I know my husband did, bless his soul. He passed away last year after fighting cancer for a brief time. I always thought he was the answer to my prayers and everything I needed when I first met him. We were married for over forty years. There's something special about a love that finds its way back to you again." The woman sighed, giving me a warm smile. "And it sounds like she's willing to make it work too if she's coming all this way to see you again. She sounds like a special girl."

"She is." I said. Above our heads, I heard the sound of an intercom come on.

"Flight 659E from Miami is arriving on terminal 19. Flight 659E from Miami is arriving on terminal 19." A man said. Excited nervousness filling my chest. That was her flight. I had memorized it on the way her from the text she had sent me this morning, confirming it. Kim hadn't called me to let me know she had boarded the plane. I tried calling but it went straight to voicemail when I was driving. More than likely, she had forgotten and had turned it off like they request.

"This is her." I said, standing. I grabbed the flowers and took a deep breath.

"Good luck! I hope the two of you are happy together." The woman said.

"Thank you." I smiled at her again before turning to walk over to the side of the waiting area that led to the correct terminal. I went as far as I could before security stopped me. I stood behind the rope, watching the door. No one was coming out of the hallway yet, the door still shut. A female employee was sitting behind the desk, typing into a computer. Another woman approached her, saying something I couldn't hear. She pulled on the latch of the door and opened it, securing it into place against the wall. I kept my eye on the doorway, waiting.

A couple minutes passed before people began emerging from the doorway. The first couple of people were businessmen who had more than likely flown first class. They were followed by families who had obviously gone on vacation there, tugging children behind them. Couples came next, a few stragglers in the mix. I studied every face, looking for the beautiful petite brunette I was dying to see. MY heart leaped when I saw someone who resembled her but it turned out to be just a look alike. The group was thinning out and no sign of Kimberly. Was she letting everyone else off the plane first before she got off? Was she using the bathroom before getting off? Soon, no one else was coming through after the flight attendants walked out and I watched as the gate was closed.

"Wait!" I called out, leaning over the rope. The woman stopped, looking over her shoulder at me. "There's still one person on the plane."

"Sir, no one else is on there. We did a thorough check of the plane before the flight attendants exit." She replied.

"There has to be a mistake though. There's a passenger that hasn't gotten off. She was supposed to be on this flight." I said. A TSA agent stood in front of me, keeping me from climbing over to the rope. The woman motioned to the agent to let me through. He did, sighing as he moved the rope. I walked over to the desk, the two women looking up at me. The one who had shut the door was a shorter, African American woman who was curvy. The woman at the computer was a darker complexion, long hair curled around her slender face. Both wore blue uniforms with the airport's logo on the left breast pocket.

"Do you have her information?" The women sitting asked. I nodded, pulling my phone from my pocket.

"Kimberly Hart. She was boarding Flight 659E this morning at 9 am." I said, pulling up the text message Kim had sent me. "She was in seat F18."

"I'll call it in." The standing woman said. She reached over and picked up the receiver for a phone next to the computer. I could picture Kimberly still on the plane, trying to get off of it with the door shut and locked. "Hey." The woman said into the phone. "Do you have anyone else on the plane?" I waited on pins and needles, hoping to hear the response that Kim was there. "Alright. Thank you." She hung the phone up and shook her head. "The plane is empty. She's not there."

"Cause she never boarded." The other woman said, looking up from the computer screen. "According to the passenger manifest, she never checked in for the flight this morning." I looked at her confused. Shaking my head, I tried calling Kim's cell. It went straight to voicemail.

"There's no way. She told me this morning she was on the way to the airport to catch her plane."

"I'm sorry, sir, but that's what the computer says." She responded.

"Maybe she missed her flight." The other suggested, giving me a sad smile. "It happens all the time."

"Do you have any more flights coming in from Miami today?" I asked. The woman typed for a minute before nodding.

"We have another one coming in about an hour and then one this evening. I can't check the passenger list but there could be a chance they placed her on one of those flights." Hope inflated in my chest again. She missed her flight. That had to be the answer. And she was currently on another one, explaining why her phone was still off.

"I guess I'll be hanging around a bit then."

I waited around for another hour, Kim not coming out with the group again. By now, a worry was forming in my gut that I didn't like. I tried calling Kimberly again but like before, it went to voicemail. I tried calling the airport in Miami but they told me they couldn't just give out passenger information. I put all my hopes on the last flight. Praying she had to wait for that flight and her phone had died.

Since I had some time to kill, I went to a bar in the airport and waited. I drank a couple beers, watching the news. The woman was talking about something overseas that the President was bitching about on Twitter. I listened, waiting to hear of some horrible plane crash or some type of huge accident in Miami that might have caused Kim to not make it here yet. There was nothing though, just a blurb about the Parkland shooting coverage that she went over quickly. I paid my tab and headed back out into the main area, knowing the last plane would be coming.

And came it did without Kimberly on it. Fear was now coursing through me as I gazed at the flowers in my hand. Had she missed her plane because something happened to her? Or was it because she had changed her mind? I called Jason and Trini then, asking if they had heard from her. Neither had and both said they would try to contact her. I spoke to an employee and asked when the next flight from Miami would be. They told me it would be tomorrow afternoon. And unlike the other employee, they told me that she was not listed on any of those flights either.

It was a long drive home without Kim with me. I tried calling her again. This time, it rang a few times before going to voicemail. This told me her phone was on now and that she isn't answering. I left my fifth voicemail, begging her to call me to let me know she was okay. I hadn't heard anything by the time I arrived home. I tried again and got the same results. I checked in with Trini and Jason, both of them saying they hadn't reached her yet. A piece of me wanted to just drive right to Miami and find her, making sure she was okay. I didn't want to chance her coming this way while I was heading down there. I opted to stay, calling the airport in Miami again. I considered calling the police but I wasn't sure if this would be a missing person's case yet. She might not be missing. She might have just changed her mind.

After getting no sleep, I went back to trying to call her next morning. It would vary between going straight to voicemail or ringing first. Was she ignoring me now? Did someone have her phone and they were turning it on and off? I texted her, asking to let me know that she was safe and what was going on. They went unanswered. I tried the airport again, getting no answers. Next I tried the bus stations and train stations. She was nowhere in their system. My mind started to wonder to our Ranger days. Had someone kidnapped her? Was she being held captive somewhere, waiting to be rescued? The thought made my stomach twist. How was I supposed to save her if I didn't know she needed to be saved? I booted up the computers from the Dino Thunder days and searched for any huge power sources like bad guys in the United States but saw nothing.  
By the third day, I was going out of my mind. I was calling her phone on an almost hourly basis. No one answered then either and the next day, it said the number was disconnected. Shortly after that, I heard my phone ring. I about jumped on it, hoping it was Kim.

"Hello?" I asked, bringing the phone to my ear.

"Hey, Tommy." Trini's voice said. I frowned, disappointed it wasn't her.

"Hey, Trini. Any news?" I asked.

"I heard from Kimberly." She said slowly. I sprang up from my spot on my couch.

"You did? Is she alright? Is she one her way here? Do I need to go down there?" I asked, heading to where my shoes were by the door. I shoved my feet into them, searching for my car keys.

"No. Tommy, Kim's okay. She's not coming back here though." She paused, her voice sounding distant.

"What is it, Trini?" I asked, feeling something in the pit of my stomach.

"She asked me to tell you to leave her alone." Trini said softly.

"What?" I whispered.

"Kim doesn't want you to contact her anymore." She said, her voice breaking. "I'm so sorry, Tommy."

"But I thought…" I trailed off, feeling something inside of my chest crack.

"I know. I'm so sorry." She repeated. I didn't hear anything else as I let the phone fall down to the floor. She didn't want to hear from me anymore? She didn't want me to contact her? She didn't want me. My fear had been true. She had changed her mind. She hadn't come because she didn't want to be with me after all. I felt a tear slid down my cheeks as I closed my eyes.

Kimberly left me again.

* * *

_Angel Grove_  
_2019_

After my 'talk' with Kimberly, we went into the living room where Trini was sitting. She explained in more detail about what had happened from her hearing about Kim. I was still in disbelief, running through that day in my head. How haven't I heard about this before then? It was baffling to me that I hadn't. Kim was able to keep up a conversation with the two of us, us pausing to let her answer. I could tell the writing everything was getting frustrating at times but she didn't try to speak at all. Why? What was causing this?

"Hey." Jason's voice called out as the front door opened. He walked up the hall and found us sitting in the living room, his eyebrows raised as he looked at us. "Did I miss something good?"

"Oh, you know." Trini said, standing up to greet him with a kiss. "Nothing that therapy wouldn't help." She shot a look at Kimberly who rolled her eyes. When Trini turned her back, Kim made a face at me and I couldn't help but grin. At least she was still trying her best to have a sense of humor.

"Good to see you listen well." Jason said, walking towards me. I stood up and shook his hand, giving him a hug.

"I never have. Why should I start now?" I asked, sitting down again. "Sorry about the punch again." I noticed the dark red mark on his mouth where I must have popped him. He waved his hand at me.

"I've had worse. Don't mention it. You still owe me a beer though."

"Sure thing." I turned to Kim and Trini. "Do you two want to go out with us?"

"I've got some work to do." Trini replied, leaning back into the couch. Kim wrote on the board.

'You go have fun.' She showed me, turning the board.

"You sure?" I asked. She nodded.

"She'll be fine here, Tommy. I promise." Trini reassured me. I nodded, standing again. I knew it was silly but a part of me was scared to leave Kim. I knew the chances of something happening to her here with Trini were slim to none but it didn't change the fact that I never wanted to let her out of my sight again.

"Relax." Jason said, putting a hand on my shoulder. Biting my lip, I turned away from Kim to look at him. "I think you can use a drink anyway."

"You're right about that." Jason kissed Trini again before leading me out of their apartment. He elected to drive, heading to his red pickup that was parked a couple spots away from my jeep. Unlocking the doors, he climbed into the driver seat while I hopped into the passenger side. I could tell her had driven to the base today, food wrappers from a fast food joint on the floor on my side. It was the only time he could really eat junk like that when Trini wasn't around to yell at him for it. "Sorry." He said, scooping them up and tossing them into the storage area behind the seats. "I had to get lunch on the go."

"Your secret's safe with me." I replied, fastening my seatbelt. He grinned, doing his as well. Starting the truck, he pulled out of the driveway and took a left towards the west side of town. We drove for a couple minutes in silence until he pulled up in front of the Endzone Sports Bar. It was a typical sports bar; neon lights in the windows of the stand alone brick building. Cars were parked behind it in the lot and along the street like us. There was a large sign on the building with the name of it on it, a football field illustrated behind it. The O in Endzone was a football, the white laces made from neon. It was still too bright for them to be lit but it was typically brighter than the sun when it was. This was one of our go-to spots. This was typically where we go to watch games and drink.

Inside, I saw it was only half way full, guests spread out between the sections. It was shaped like a U, tables starting at one end and wrapping around to the other. In the middle was the bar, a solid oak piece that was also shaped like a U. There were metal stools pushed up to it, a couple of the seats taken by regulars who came every day. Jase and I headed to the bar, taking a seat in the left hand corner of the U. Jake, the bartender, nodded at us as we sat down. The twenty-something year old walked over to the taps and started pouring two beers.

"Thanks, man." Jase said as he slid the beers in front of us.

"No problem. You guys feeling food tonight?" He asked, pointing at the menus on the side of the bar. I shook my head.

"No, I think we're good. Thanks anyway." Jase replied. Jake nodded, heading away from us. Jason let out a sigh, taking a sip of his beer first. Setting the glass on the coaster, he glanced over at me. "Well? How are you dealing with all of this?" I snorted, grabbing my glass.

"I honestly don't have a fucking clue." I answered, shaking my head. "A day ago, I was pissed because I thought you guys had smuggled my ex-girlfriend back to Angel Grove because she didn't want to see me. Now, I have to deal with the fact she didn't choose to disappear because she didn't want to be with me. It was because she was propelled out of a window after being shot during a school shooting. And, now she isn't speaking to anyone because there's something going on in her head." I took a sip of my beer. "Did I sum it up right?"

"Well, you did forget the part where she communicated with that stupid white board." He added, shrugging his shoulders. "Other than that, spot on."

"Thanks." I muttered. "That board must get annoying for everyone involved." Jase nodded, glancing up at the TV above our heads. It was showing recaps of the game last night, the one we had missed.

"It does. It's worse when she doesn't have it though. She couldn't find it her first night when she was unpacking and it was like playing charades with someone who doesn't actually know the answer. I finally made her write it on paper." He propped his elbow up on the bar and leaned his head on his hand. "It's been quite the experience to deal with."

"I'd like to help." I stated, sliding forward on the bar stool. "I mean it. I'll do anything to help Kimberly."

"Well, I know Trini has something for work tomorrow. She asked me to stay with Kim but I could just happen to have something come up if you catch my drift." He shot me a wink, taking a sip from his glass. The head of the beer had settled now, the large amounts of foam dissolving. "She'll want someone to sit with Kim in case something happens."

"You think she'll go for it?" I asked.

"I think she won't have much choice, will she?" He glanced up at the TV again, watching a highlight of the winning points. "Honestly, I don't think Kim should be staying us. It's not that I don't want her there. I just think that she needs more help than we can give her. Especially with the whole not talking thing. She can't go on her whole life like this. But, you know Kim. She's so fucking stubborn it's not even funny."

"I'm aware. Do you know anything else about the shooting? I saw some stuff on-line about the kid but just that he died. Has she told you guys anything else?" I asked. Jason shook his head, looking back at me.

"No. At least not to me. There's no telling what she might have told Trini. All I know is that she was at the school to pick up something before catching her flight here. I guess the next thing she knew, there were some gunshots and she woke up in the hospital. I've tried getting more out of her but she either clams up or says she can't remember. Something doesn't sit right with me about it."

"What do you mean?" I gave him a confused look. What was he talking about? Did he think that Kimberly was targeted or something? That maybe the kid was looking for her on a mission to kill her?

"I don't know. I just don't get why she isn't talking for starters. Nothing in her hospital records show that she was injured in a way that would affect that. And then, I don't understand why she didn't get out sooner. The police report mentioned something about how she had like five minutes between the time the guy came into her hallway before he entered her room. She could have gotten out that window with plenty of time to spare. Why did she stay behind?"

"Have you asked her?" I questioned. He nodded.

"Never answers. She's built that wall so high, I don't think anyone can get over it."


	6. Let Me Go

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for such a delay between chapters. My life is a bit hectic at the moment. I feel like I had to sit down and force myself to write this today for you guys. Here's hoping you enjoy! There's only two chapters left after this one and I'm hoping to have them done some time over the weekend!**

**As always, thank you for R&R! And I own nothing.**

* * *

**Let Me Go**

_**Angel Grove**_  
_2019_

Jason and I drank a bit more at the bar before calling it a night. He drove back to his place and we went back up to the apartment. The girls were in bed, the clock reading past midnight. Jason said he would talk to Trini and that I should be back over by at least ten tomorrow to sit with Kimberly. I didn't want to leave but I did, knowing she was safe with Trini and Jason here. Nothing was after her and pretty much the worst had already happened. Was I ever going to be able to live with her not being in my sight again? I found it hard to believe that I wouldn't be able to. I headed home and was finally able to catch up on some sleep. It was a bit restless but I felt like I had more energy the next morning when I rolled out of bed.

Catching a quick shower, I changed and drove over to Trini and Jason's apartment complex. Jason buzzed me in when I rang their apartment and soon, I was knocking on the door. He opened it, giving me a smile and a wink before stepping to the side. I saw he was dressed in a black t-shirt and an Army green pair of cargo pants. I guess he really was going to head to the base just to give me some one on one time with Kim. I closed the door behind me and followed him into the kitchen. I saw that his bag was hanging off one of the chairs and a travel mug was sitting next to the coffee pot.

"Thanks for coming over. Trini wasn't too keen on the idea but I was pretty convincing." Jason said, tossing his bag onto his back.

"Thanks for this." I said softly, unsure if Kim was awake to hear me.

"She's in the shower." He stated, almost reading my mind. "She knows you're here. I told her before she headed in there. I just made a fresh pot of coffee if you want some and there's donuts in the fridge. Good luck, man." He patted me on the back before picking up his travel mug and heading for the door. I gave him a wave before he disappeared out of it. Now alone, I heard the sound of water running across the hall, telling me she was still in the shower. I took the time to make a cup of coffee and find the donuts on the second shelf in the fridge. Naturally, they were some kind of healthy gluten free organic crap, Trini's specialty. I picked one out that had what resembled chocolate frosting on the top of it. Grabbing my coffee and my donut, I headed to the living room. The sound of the shower stopped as I sat down in the leather recliner in the corner of the room. Taking a bite of the donut, an awful taste filled my mouth and I felt myself gag as I tried to spit it out. It was dry and stuck to my tongue no matter how much I tried to force it out of my mouth. I managed to scoop some of it out into my hand, the rest coating my tongue like a carpet of disgusting.

A knocking noise made me jump as I tried to scrape my tongue clean. I saw Kim standing in the doorway of the living room, a grin on her face. She gestured to the board in her left hand and I saw her hand writing on it.

'They're gross, aren't they?' She asked.

"You could say that." Scowling at the awful taste in my mouth. I tossed the part I had spit out into my hand into a nearby waste paper basket while I washed my mouth out with coffee. Kim entered the living room fully now, tight dark skinny jeans on the bottom half of her and a flowy pink tank top on her torso. She sat on the couch opposite of me and giggled at my expression. Hearing her laugh was odd seeing as she couldn't talk. That meant that there was nothing wrong with her vocal cords. Was this really all in her head?

'Trini got them. She thinks organic will help me.'

"That sounds like Trini." I mumbled, taking another sip of my coffee. "How did you sleep?"

'Fine. You?' She held the board up on her knees as she crossed her legs. Shrugging my shoulders, I leaned back into the chair.

"Better than I have been I guess. Worry does a lot to the mind." She looked at me, confused.

'Worried about what?' She wrote. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Gee, I wonder what." I replied. "You. What else? I've been worried about you since that day you didn't come back. I know you told Trini to tell me not to contact you so I'd stop worrying but I never did. I always thought that something might have happened to you or I did something to you that would have hurt you in some way. All I wanted to know was that you were okay. That we were okay. Worrying is something I've done a lot of." She erased the board with a tissue.

'Don't worry anymore. I'm fine.' She responded. I gave her a small smile, shaking my head.

"It doesn't work like that, Beautiful." I said, softly. "Pretty sure that is what I was put on this Earth to do. Among other things." We locked eyes for a moment, her grip so tight on the board that her knuckles were white. After a while, she turned away, clearing the board. She didn't write anything though, using the board for a distraction. Sighing, I glanced out the window next to me. The sun was trying to shine through the foggy mess, rain falling over night that continued into the early morning. This made everything humid and muggy, a stickiness to all surfaces. "So, is staying inside one of Trini's rules or am I allowed to take you somewhere?"

'Like where?'

"Well, that would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Kimberly and I were driving in my jeep and heading out of Angel Grove. My dojo is located on the outskirts of town, in a two story brick building that I knew was perfect the moment my eyes landed on it. Formerly, it had been a voluntary fire department. When Angel Grove opted to go with a paid department, the building was sold to generate more money for the new force. I had been so excited when I had seen the place that I called Kim as soon as I was back in the jeep. At the time, she told me to pick this place since it seemed to speak so much to me. In hindsight, I always felt more connected to her here because of how much input and advice she gave me during the planning process of the dojo. After she disappeared, I felt like it was the only place I felt her.

Pulling into my parking spot, I was happy to see that Rocky was gone already. The Saturday classes aren't typically that long, especially when there's only one teacher. He probably taught it and then bounced, thankful to be done early on a Saturday. I cut the engine, pocketing the keys. Next to me in the passenger seat, Kim looked up at the building. Her white board was on her lap, the pen in her hand. I wished with everything in me that she didn't need that to talk. I was missing the sound of her voice, especially her laugh. It was like an old song you remember and want to listen to but can't find it on the internet anywhere.

"Here we are." I said, giving her a smile. She held up a finger and scribbled on the board.

'It's nice!' She wrote, returning the smile.

"Wait until you see the inside before you judge." I replied, laughing. I climbed out of my side and waited for her while she did the same. She met me on the sidewalk and together, we walked up the sidewalk towards the front door. I unlocked the tall door, holding it open for her. She smiled, slipping in past me. The smell of vanilla shampoo wafted from her as she passed, making my head spin slightly. I came in after her, making sure to lock the door as we entered. I didn't want anyone wandering in during our tour. After we first opened, a couple of kids broke our front window and vandalized the gym. It took a week to paint over the graffiti they spray painted all over the walls and I had to replace a bunch of ripped mats. I wasn't the happiest camper at that point in time but Rocky was able to remind me that it was the exact reason why opening the dojo was a good thing.

Kim stepped into the main gym and looked around, her arms tucked around the white board. There was a big smile on her lips as she took it all in. I wished she would say something about what was on her mind. She didn't though, of course. She stopped into the middle of the mats, her shoes sinking into the cushioning. Writing on the board, she turned it towards me.

'It's just how I pictured it.' was scrawled across the white surface. Tucking my hands into my pockets, I walked towards her.

"Yeah?" I asked. She nodded, gazing over at the wall in front of us. There were posters of famous martial artists hung here that I had framed. I noticed her eyes landed on the one in the middle. It was an autographed poster of Bruce Lee, him crouching low in a position to jump towards someone. It was from his last movie before he passed away. She shifted her head to look at me, her left eyebrow raised. Erasing the board with the hem of her shirt, she wrote.

'You kept it?' she asked. I scoffed.

"A signed Bruce Lee poster? You could have murdered my whole family and I still would have kept it!" I said. That's when she let out a loud laugh that echoed around the room. It was like soft music to my ears. She could laugh. It turned into a little fit of giggles that she suppressed with her hand. My chest warmed at the sight of her laughing. It was something I never thought I would see or hear again. I'd give anything in the world to keep hearing it. Kim had bought me the poster the Christmas before she went to Florida. It had cost her three months worth of babysitting and her allowance but she had told me before that seeing me nearly shit my pants when I opened it was worth it. "I thought it would go well in here. I mean, the kids don't have a clue who he is but I do. All that matters. Still the best gift anyone has ever given me by the way."

'Well, you're welcome.' She scribbled out for me, causing me to laugh now. She smirked at me before turning to look at the rest of the room.

"We hold three classes a day. Rocky does the first one, I do the second and then we both do the evening teaches kickboxing on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Monday nights, I teach self defense. We're hoping to add some more classes soon. It all depends on how many people would be interested in signing up. We're still working on getting our numbers up." I pointed towards the door way and she followed behind me as I headed towards it. Through here was our locker room section. I showed her the women and the men's rooms, pointing out different decorations or things that I thought were cool. After that, I showed her the smaller gym that we typically use for the night classes. Except for the kid courses, evening classes are typically smaller in size. It's easier to hold them in a smaller room to help Rocky and I see our students better and to give them a more personal interaction with the instructor. Plus, it's so much faster to clean at the end of the night.

We walked through the other doorway and came to the bottom of the stairs. I jogged up them, Kim behind me as I headed into the office. She snorted when she saw it and I already knew she had a comment about the mess before she turned it towards me.

'Was there an earthquake?'

"Ha ha. Very funny." I replied, rolling my eyes. It was a bit messy, especially since I haven't been back here since I found out that Kim was back. Walking over, I straightened up the papers the best I could and pushed one of the other cushioned chairs next to the desk. "Take a seat." She sat, leaning against the back of it. I plopped down into my office chairs and turned it so I was facing her. "So, what do you think now?"

'It's very you.' She replied. I gave her a confused look and she wrote underneath it. 'In a good way.'

"Thank you?" I asked, unsure what she meant by it really. She erased the marker and wrote for a couple seconds. She held it up towards me.

'It's exactly what you wanted. You did a great job with it. That's what I meant.'

"Oh. Well, you helped me a lot with that I guess." I admitted, leaning my chair back. "I kept a lot of the ideas we had talked about."

'It's perfect.' A silence fell over us. Well, more like just me as I was the only one talking. I gazed from Kim over to the picture on my desk I had been looking at the other day. Reaching over, she picked it up and looked down at it. Her smile faded when she gazed down at it and I wondered what was going through her mind. Was she thinking about her life before the shooting? How things had been entirely different then? Was she thinking about the fact we were together that night and now we were almost strangers?

"Kim," I said softly, putting a gentle hand on her forearm. She raised her eyes to look at me. "What happened?" She set the picture back down and picked up the white board.

'I told you.'

"No, you didn't." I said, leaning forward. She pulled her arm from my grip. "You gave me the version that you told Trini and everyone else. It might work with them but it won't for me." I saw a tint of anger in her eyes as she started writing on the board feverishly. She slammed it on the desk when she was done.

'There's nothing to tell. Drop it.'

"Kimberly, it's me. You really don't think I can't tell you aren't telling the whole truth? It's written all over your face. If you tell me, we can get you help and figure out a way to help you talk sooner."

'I DON'T WANT TO TALK!' She wrote out angrily on the board. She erased it, hunching over the board to give her more leverage to write. 'Just let it go, Tommy. It's not a big deal. This is how I'm going to deal with it.'

"See? I told you. Deal with what?" She glared at me, jumping out of the chair. She grabbed her board and headed out of the office door. I followed behind her as she ran down the stairs. "Kim, stop! You're just running from it and it's not going to fix anything that happened." I called out. I managed to catch her arm once we were on the ground floor. She tried to yank it out of my hands but I held on firmly. She glared at me, shaking her head. "Talk to me!" Kim shoved her hands into my chest, the edge of the board catching me in the Adam's apple. I let go of her arm on instinct, covering it. She took three steps backwards and tripped over the mat. She landed on her ass, a wince on her face. She didn't move to get up as she wrote on the board.

'Take me home.'

"No." I said, shaking my head. I knew it was a dick move. I brought her here and I knew she wouldn't be able to get home any other way. I ignored the pang of guilt as she glared up at me.

'You aren't being fair.' She wrote. I let out a dark chuckle, shaking my head.

"Fair? You know what isn't fair? Being told that the love of your life is going to be coming back for you and having her not show. Sitting in an airport for eleven hours, waiting for her with flowers for her to never get off a plane. Worrying for hours afterwards because you haven't heard from her only to be told by her best friend that she doesn't want to hear from you. To go an entire year without hearing from the only person you've ever loved, not knowing what you did to make them hate you. Finding out that something horrible happened to her and she didn't want you to know. That's what's unfair, Kim." She climbed to her feet, anger still on her features.

'Sorry that me getting shot inconvenience you.' She wrote. It was my turn to be angry.

"Don't turn this around to make me the bad guy. I would have been there for you in a heartbeat if I had known. I was getting ready to come down there when Trini told me you wanted nothing to do with me. I'm trying like hell to be here for your right now but it's hard when you're hiding behind a stupid whiteboard instead of letting us in to help you." She moved to write again but I let out a frustrated groan, smacking the thing out of her hands. It fell and I kicked it away from her. "For fuck sakes, Kim! TALK TO ME!" I exclaimed. She jumped at my outburst, looking in the direction of the board. In front of my eyes, I saw her shrink back and wrap her arms around herself. Shit. I had pushed too hard. I was getting the exact opposite reaction as I was hoping.

"Kim, I'm sorry." I said softly, stepping towards her. She stepped back, keeping the distance between us. I let my hands fall to my sides, defeated. "I just missed you, Kim. And I still do. I love having you back here but it feels like it's just a shell of who you used to be. I want to help you but I can't do that if I don't know what happened." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I'll go grab my keys and take you home." Turning, I headed towards the stairs.

"Caleb." Kim's voice said, so softly and hoarse that I thought I had almost imagined it. Stopping in my tracks, I looked over my shoulder at her.

"What?" I whispered. She swallowed hard and I saw the tears well in her eyes.

"Caleb."

* * *

**Angel Grove**  
_2016_

"Well, I gotta admit. I think you might have learned a thing or two since the last time." Kimberly panted, leaning back into the pillow under head. I laughed, trying to catch my breath as I laid next to her. Her brown hair was fanned out around her head, a strand stuck to the sweat on her forehead. I took in the sight of her as she gazed up at the ceiling, her petite frame hidden by the white cotton sheet that was typically provided by most hotels. She was just as beautiful like this as she had been the last time we were together in bed. It had been ages ago it seems but it still made me smile to look at her. She must have sensed it because she turned to face me. "What?"

"Nothing. Just taking it all in I suppose." I replied, shifting so I was looking up at the ceiling. The light fixture was only half on, Kim dimming the lights before things got too hot and heavy. I could hear the sound of the highway outside and a distant plane heading towards the airport.

"I hope you don't think I do this all the time." She said, rolling on her side to look at me. She propped her head up on her arm. "I don't. Honestly, I think you might be the last person I was with." My eyes widened at that.

"What? No way."

"Yes way!" she exclaimed. "With everything going on with the Olympics and then school, I really haven't had the time or the energy to think about dating."

"I mean, you don't have to date to…" I trailed off, pointing between the two of us.

"Right but we have dated so that argument is invalid." She winked at me and I couldn't help but smile. "Are you trying to tell me that you've been with other people besides me?" She asked.

"Huh?" I asked, nervousness settling in. "Well, I mean I-." I stammered but her laughter cut me off.

"Tommy, you were married. I think I get it that you've had sex since you were 17." She nudged me in the arm with her other hand before sighing. "Who was better?"

"You." I said instantly, glancing at her. She let out a loud laugh, shaking her head.

"We already fucked. No need for flattery." She replied.

"I'm not lying. Kat's nice and all but our sex life was boring. It just never felt the same as it did with you. I'm not sure why."

"Alright. You can keep flattering me. I'll allow it." She said, laying back again. I propped myself up this time, scooting closer to her.

"I could do it all night." I whispered, leaning in to kiss her shoulder. "You have the most beautiful eyes. The most beautiful smile. You smell like a vanilla soaked piece of coconut that I want to eat all day." My kisses moved to her neck and she moved her head to allow me.

"I think you might be a little tipsy, Mr. Oliver."

"Shh. I'm on a roll here." I whispered in her ear. She giggled, pushing me back so she could kiss me on the lips.

"Thank you. For everything tonight." She said, smiling at me brightly. "I was honestly dreading coming here because I wasn't sure how it would be between us."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I thought you would still be upset with me about everything that happened. But when you started talking to me and it felt like old times, I knew I had made the right choice. That and the four bottles of wine I probably drank tonight. I'm quite sure it aided in the decision that landed us here."

"To be honest, I felt the same way. I didn't know how things would be between us either. That's why I was hiding at the bar. But like you said, it felt the same as before and I'm glad." I linked our fingers together and stroked the top of her land with my thumb. "Even if it's just for tonight, I'm really happy I decided to come."

"Me too." She whispered, kissing me again. She rested her free hand on my face and ran her fingers through my goatee as I pulled away. "I like this by the way. It looks good on you."

"Yeah?" I asked. She nodded. "Maybe I'll keep it then."

"You should. I think it looks very sexy on you."

"Oh well I'm definitely going to keep it now."

* * *

The sun was beginning to rise over the horizon, the light dancing off the windows of the other half of the hotel that I could see from the window. In the orange light, I watched as Kimberly slept in my arms. Her bare chest rose and fell with each deep breath, the little sounds she made sounding like a melody to me. Could this really be happening to me right now? Was Kimberly Hart really laying in bed with me? If it was a dream, I was okay with not waking up. It was everything I had dreamt about since the last time I saw her and to have it happen truly was a dream come true.

After giving me her hotel key, I had helped Kim get into a cab to head her. Shortly after that, I bid Aisha and Rocky farewell and sobered up enough to speed over to the hotel. She was waiting for me to knock and when she opened that door, I must have walked through a time warp because we were suddenly 17 and home alone in her bedroom. I had her naked before we even reached the bed and the rest was just a flurry of orgasms and moans. It happened again a little while later, this time not as rushed but still just as sweet as the first. I had dozed a bit following that but I was more enjoying laying there with her. I didn't know where this was going to go but I was going to soak it up now as much as I could. I was going to memorize every little piece of this nice the best I can so that if I never saw her again, this would at least be our last memories together.

"Morning." She mumbled and I felt her turn around in my arms so she could face me. She pressed her lips to mine before wrapping herself around me to curl up against my chest.

"Did I wake you?" I whispered, stroking her hair.

"No. It was the giant fireball in the sky." She replied, pulling back to look at me. "What time is it?"

"A little after six. Go back to sleep." I placed a peck on her forehead but she shook her head.

"I have to start packing all my things up to get ready to go." A distant look came over her face as she turned to look out the window. "My plane leaves in a few hours."

"Oh." I simply said, unsure what else would work for the situation. Would begging her not to go be too eager?

"About last night." She said, turning back to face me. "It was wonderful, wasn't it?"

"It was." I agreed.

"So wonderful that I think trying to make anything else out of it might ruin it." She said, stroking my cheek with her hand. "You know?"

"What do you mean?"

"Tommy, I still live 3,000 miles away from here. I don't want you to think that because of last night, we're together again. I'm not sure if that's the smartest way to go."

"Oh." I repeated. "I didn't think that." I lied.

"Really?" She asked. I nodded, forcing a small smile. "It's not that I don't want to get back together with you. After last night, it feels like the right thing to do. But it would end up like it did last time. And I don't think I could live with myself then."

"It's alright. I understand." I stated. "This was a good one night thing."

"Well, I don't want it to be that either." She said, frowning.

"What do you want?" I asked. She sat up, the sheet pooling around her waist. Bending her knees, she leaned her arms against her knees.

"I supposed it wouldn't hurt to try to get to know each other again, would it?" She said, staring into space. "I mean, we know each other again this way but I mean as people." Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she grinned at me. "I could always use someone to text throughout the day." I sat up next to her.

"So, you want to talk more before we give this another go?" I asked. She nodded.

"I'm sorry if that isn't what you want to do."

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes if it means being with you in the end." I said, kissing her shoulder. She smiled, kissing my forehead.


	7. Your Guardian Angel

**A/N: Alright, guys. This is the chapter I was warning you all about. It's in Kim's POV and does have violence in it. This is my warning before you read it. There is one more chapter after this one and then Beautifully Broken will be complete!**

**As always, thank you for your R&R!**

* * *

**Your Guardian Angel**

_**Miami**_  
_2018_

"Good morning, Kimberly!" Mrs. Anderson called from behind the front desk as I walked through the front door of Open Door Academy. I waved at the sixty year old blonde woman whose hair was starting to turn more gray now that it had at the beginning of the school year. "I thought you were off this week."

"I am." I replied, walking over to the wall of mailboxes on the right side of the office. I spotted mine in the dead center of all of them, papers crammed into there. I sighed. I had emptied it Friday night. How was it jammed packed already at nine AM on Monday? Maybe it was a good thing I wasn't going to be here the rest of the week.

"Then what are you doing here?" She asked, rifling through papers. I pulled my mail out and leafed through it. I noticed it was mostly flyers for the teacher appreciation picnic next week and order forms for classroom supplies.

"I forgot something in my classroom. It's a good thing my head's attached or I'd forget that somewhere too." I said, grinning at her. She let out a little laugh as I headed for the door. "

"You're way too young for that yet." She called out. I gave her another wave before exiting the office. I didn't have much time. Thanks to my blunder, I was now going to have to rush to get everything done that I would need to do in just two hours. Thankfully, I had packed everything last night but that was when I noticed my papers to grade were missing. I wanted to grade them on the plane since I had so much free time to fill and I wasn't sure if I would have time once I landed in California.

In the hallway, I took a left hand turn and jogged up a flight of stairs I found there. At the top, I found myself in the science wing. I could hear teachers giving lectures to students who probably weren't playing a lick of attention. I noticed that the technology room door was open as I passed and the teacher, Mrs. Parry was standing at the board writing. She looked up when she spotted me and smiled. She was short like me, with dirty blonde hair she always kept in a ponytail. She walked towards the door and I stopped for a minute.

"Hey, Kim. Thought you were off this week." She said.

"I am. I forgot my papers I wanted to grade on my desk." I explained.

"It's no wonder. I heard the Friday's class at the end of the day got a little rowdy." I sighed, nodding.

"You could say that. Never thought I'd have to break up a fist fight. These kids really need to learn that school isn't for that kind of stuff. I thought they were going to have to send Alex to the ear. He looked like he had a broken eye socket. That's rough."

"Alex Cruzman? That poor kid. He shouldn't even be here. His class graduated last year. The only kept him back because he failed a history class. I wish they'd just let him graduate. He's a walking target." I nodded, thinking of the would be senior. He was a taller yet rounder kid, bright red hair and a face that looked mean. He was bullied a lot, the other kids picking on him for everything from his hair down to his mother. I'm not quite sure what happened but I know he doesn't have the best home life. He's not the brightest kid but he does enjoy helping others when need be.

"I hope they help him out or something. I'd hate to see him get hurt or drop out because of the bullying."

"Me too. If you see Caleb in your travels, can you send him my way? He took BRAT out for a walk." I smiled, nodding.

"I sure can." With a smile, I turned and started back up the hall. I shifted to the right, entering the arts department wing. This was where my classroom was located. It was the fourth door down the hall on the right. Before that though, I saw that Caleb Tanner was walking up the hallway. The mousy haired sophomore was controlling the BRAT robot next to him on the ground with the remote control in his hand. The little robot was a box shape with four wheels on it that made it move Caleb had even installed arms to the machine, giving it more personality. Caleb glanced up and smiled when he saw me.

"Miss Hart! What are you doing here?" He asked. Caleb's green eyes seemed to sparkle when he talked, a trait I found that worked well for him. It made the dimples on his face poke through. I stopped walking when I reached him.

"Hey, Caleb. I forgot something. How's BRAT doing?" I asked, gazing down at the robot. BRAT stands for Battery Robotic Automatic Technology. About two years ago, the school was looking to get rid of some of the science department due to funding. Caleb worked with Mrs. Parry to apply for a grant to not only help the teachers keep their jobs but also afford a robotics class. It was a huge hit and Caleb is the president of the Robotics Club. There are two other versions of BRAT that the class uses, both shaped differently. BRAT was Caleb's favorite though. He's always walking her.

"BRAT, can you say hi?" He asked the robot. The right arm stuck out and lifted up and down, waving. I laughed, covering my mouth so I wasn't too loud.

"That's great! I still remember when she was just a box of pieces and bolts. You've really outdone yourself, Caleb. Good work."

"Thanks, Miss Hart."

"Mrs. Parry is looking for you." I said, stepping over to my classroom door.

"I gotta find the other guys before I head back." Caleb explained. "Nick and Andy have BRAT 2.0 out somewhere." He was referring to his best friends, 15 year old Nick Thomas and 16 year old Andy Metz. The three of them are rarely apart.

"I'm sure they are around here somewhere." Sure enough, Nick and Andy came around the corner with another robot between the two of them. Andy was a taller and slender boy with black hair and blue eyes. Nick was the polar opposite with blonde hair, a shorter and more stocky figure. The two glanced up and smiled when they saw us.

"Hey, Miss Hart." They said in unison as they stopped in front of us. Andy held the controller in his hand and like Caleb, he made the robot wave.

"Hi, guys. You guys are going to take over the world with those things." I said, gesturing to the small robots. BRAT and BRAT 2.0 spun in circles, reminding me a certain robot that helped my friends and I when I was a teenager.

"That's the plan." Nick grinned, taking the controller from Andy's hand.

"You wish." Caleb said, shaking his head. "I don't think these two will do much harm to anyone."

"That's why we keep building! There's a bunch of other stuff we can do with them and we can improve our techniques." Andy replied. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket. "See? I found a whole web series devoted to building the same kind of robot that was in that 80's movie Short Circuit. Imagine having that rolling down the hallways of Open Doors!"

"You want to build something from a really old movie?" Nick asked.

"Watch it." I said, pointing at the three. "I was born before the movie came out. I would like to not consider myself really old yet."

"Sorry, Miss Hart." Nick said, a blush rising across his cheeks.

"Mrs. Parry wants us back in class." Caleb said to his friends. Nick nodded, taking the chance to scurry away. Andy followed, trailing behind BRAT 2.0. Caleb reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "Miss Hart, would you be able to get me some things while you're in California? I have some money I can give you."

"Let me see the list before I agree." I replied. He held it out to me and I glanced at it.

_**Sand.  
Shells.  
Palm tree leaf.  
**__**Coral.  
**__**Piece of driftwood.**_

"Caleb, this is all stuff you could get here." I replied, looking up at him.

"I know but my mom is from California and she says all the time that she misses the beaches there. I think it might help her feel better during her chemo treatments." He said, a red tint coming to the tips of his ears.

"Sure. I'll sneak back the whole beach if I can, how about that?"

"Thank you." He held out a rumbled ten dollar bill. "It's not much-."

"Don't worry about it." I interrupted, pushing his hand away gently. "All that stuff is free if you know where to look for it. Trust me. I know exactly where to look."

"I knew I could count on you. Thanks, Miss Hart!"

"Head back to class, alright? Mrs. Parry will send out a search party if you aren't back soon."

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, BRAT." He made the robot roll forward, heading up the hallway. "Have a nice vacation!"

"Thanks, Caleb. I'll see you when I get back." He waved before disappearing around the corner. I turned and unlocked my classroom door, pushing it open. The lock jammed for a second, like it always does. I fought with it until it clicked, allowing me to take the key back out. I closed the door behind me and looked down at the list in my hand again.

Caleb is a great kid but he wasn't always like this. About two years ago, I took a temporary position as a substitute music teacher. The current teacher had suffered a stroke and wasn't going to be able to return to work until the following school year. I started in October and it wasn't long before I realized who the good kids were and who the bad kids were. Caleb didn't fall into either category. He sat in the back row of my first period class and was often late or not there. On the days he was here, he would fall asleep for most of the class and never turn any homework in. By the time we were to the first marking period, he was failing. I opted to talk to the guidance counselor about him because I wasn't sure what else to do. She told me that he does that in all his morning classes and that he still managed good marks in his other classes so there wasn't much of an issue. She reassured me it was something all teenage boys in high school did.

I wouldn't let that pass as an excuse. When he failed to hand in a paper, I told him he had to stay after school to work on it. He didn't fight back or try to get out of it like the other kids usually do. He showed up right on time and did the work. He didn't even ask for help. He handed in a paper that was damn near the best one in the whole grade. It left me beyond confused as to what the hell was causing him to fall behind so much. So, I finally asked him to stay after class one day and asked him. At first, he told me that he just didn't get a lot of sleep at night and that was it. But I could tell her was lying. I offered him so tutoring after school and that's when he started to cry.

Caleb informed me that things at home were not the greatest. His mother was raising him and his four little sisters by herself, forcing her to work two jobs. This left Caleb to run the house pretty much by himself. He was caring for a set of seven year old twins, a four year old, and an 18 month old. This rarely gave him time to do anything along the lines of school work. Since his mother worked nights, he would be up with the baby and working on his important assignments to ensure he would not fail. Since music was deemed an elective, it was often the class he had to let slip by. Most mornings, he had to get his sister's off to school and the baby to a sitter which would make him late. He couldn't stay after for help because if no one was home for the girls, they would all end up in foster care and he couldn't let that happen.

I was crushed as I listened to Caleb tell his story. I couldn't believe that a fifteen year old was going through so much. Granted I had a lot on my plate at that age but I never had to juggle raising a family with it. Caleb hadn't heard from their father in about a year after he took off. He felt that his mother blamed him for a good chunk of their problems because he looks like his father. Caleb was near sobbing at this point and I was close to crying myself. I reassured him that things would get better and allowed him to calm down before heading to his next class. The moment he was gone, I headed right to the principal's office. I told Mr. Goldman all about what Caleb had said and he told me it was common with the students for that to happen. I asked him if there was anything we could do to help him and his family and he said there weren't really any resources available that could help.

Like before, I wouldn't take that as an answer. I spoke to all of his teachers, asking if there was a chance they could give him less homework throughout the week and have him work on more during the day. They agreed. I also spoke to the guidance counselor again who switched him from another unneeded elective to a study hall, giving him more time to get his work done. I knew it wasn't much but it was a start. I asked Caleb to stay after again and I told him that I would be helping him before school with whatever he needed. From taking the girls to school to watching them so he had time to get ready. He refused at first but finally agreed to the help. He was nervous about his mother finding out and thinking that he had told the school she wasn't home. I told him that she only needed to know if he wanted her to.

For about three months, I helped Caleb every single day. You could see how much it was helping him. His grades were improving, his attendance was up, and he was a more positive student in class. It was a bit weary on me but I didn't mind helping. His sisters were adorable and I didn't have anything else to do in the morning. The twins, Anna and Tanya, were polite and well behaved and the four year, Sammy, was a quiet kid. Baby Renee could be a bit of a handful but overall, seemed to be a good baby. Caleb's mother was working during the say at a gas station and at night, she was a nurse's aide at a nearby nursing home. She was only home after school until her night shift started but she was usually sleeping at that point. That's why Caleb had to care for them.

The week before Christmas, I showed up at Caleb's house in the morning like usual. Instead of Caleb answering the door, it was his mother. And she was not too thrilled to see me standing there. She yelled and accused me of spying on her family when she wasn't there. Between her screaming, I discovered that someone had called child protective services on her and the kids had been taken to foster care. Everyone accept Caleb who refused to go. They allowed him to stay since he was old enough to care from himself. No matter how hard I tried to tell her it wasn't me, she didn't listen. She slammed the door in my face and Caleb didn't come to school for the rest of that week.

He did return the following week and slid right back into those old habits. He was late, not turning in homework, and falling asleep in class. I pulled him aside and asked what was going on. The girls were still in foster care and his mother had lost her jobs due to her drinking. He was running the streets at night, trying to sell whatever he could to get enough money for food in the house. I knew it was finally to the point where I couldn't ignore what was going on anymore. I told Caleb he could come stay with me if he wanted to. He was hesitant and said he would think about it but came back at lunch time to accept. I followed the legal system, getting a temporary order of guardianship for Caleb. It wasn't too hard. His mother never came to the hearing and he told the court he wanted to stay with me until his mother was better.

After staying with me for a couple weeks, Caleb's grandmother contacted him and asked if he wanted to come stay with her and his uncle. I asked Caleb if he thought this would be good for him. They were local enough for him to continue coming to our school and he could still see his mother and his sisters. He moved in with them and in just a couple months, he was a completely different kid. He started joining clubs and making friends. He even worked with the tech department to get the robotics at the school. That's where he met Andy and Nick. The three of them developed the robotics club and Caleb became the president. It's been a year now and he is flourishing. A couple months ago, his mother announced she had breast cancer and was going to start going through chemotherapy. He bounces back and forth between her and his grandmother's, making sure she has everything she needs. He hasn't let it get to him again though, something I'm proud of. It's not nice to say you have a favorite student but Caleb is definitely mine.

Tucking the list into my pocket, I walked over to my desk in the right hand corner of the room. Right on top of the wooden furniture, I spotted the folder that the papers to grade were in. Swearing, I shook my head. I could have sworn I had put these in my bag when I left Friday afternoon. At least I had them now. They would keep me preoccupied on my long flight to California. The thought of it made me smile and I wondered for a moment what Tommy was doing. Probably getting ready to head to the airport to get me. He has a four hour drive ahead of him which sounded a lot better than the eight hour plane ride I had. I had been fortunate enough to avoid any type of major layover and I was looking forward to making it one straight shot.

I thought about what I was going to say to Tommy once I saw him. That I still loved him? Would that be too forward? I knew he must have some idea that I felt that way but to come out and say it was something all its own. He's been waiting for us to talk for us to make it official, a choice I had made that was killing me inside. All I wanted to do was tell him that being with him was the only sure thing I've ever known. I just felt it would be better in person. Cause then I could tell him that I was moving back to be with him as well. I've been picturing his face when I say it since I made the decision and I hope it's worth it.

A gust of wind came through the room, knocking down the papers on the window cill. Glancing up, I saw that the window was wide open. The janitors do that sometimes if they mop or wax over the weekend. Bending over, I scooped up the papers and put them back in the plastic trays on the ledge. Stepping towards the window, I glanced at the clock by the door. I had to get going. If I left now, I'd have enough time to get my things from home and head to the airport without having to worry about running through the terminal. As I reached out and touched the window pane, a felt a rumbling under my feet. I glanced around, trying to figure out what it could be. Was someone rolling the AV cart up the hallway? It stopped for a second only to continue again, stronger. Was this an Earthquake? I had never felt one here in Miami. They aren't located on a plate like California. This didn't feel like that though.

Looking out the window, I could see the front of the building where the office was. There was a window that was broken facing this direction, the blind hanging out of it slightly. As I leaned forward to examine it, I heard a loud series of pops in the hallway. Confused, I took a step towards the door and heard them again. Fear suddenly froze my heart in my chest as I realized what the noise was.

Gunfire.

"Shit." I said, reaching for my phone. Only, I realized it wasn't in my pocket. I had left it on the passenger seat in my car. I ran over to the classroom phone on the wall near the door and picked it up. There was no tone, telling me the lines were dead. I slammed it down, grabbing the door knob. Pulling the door open, I took a deep breath and saw no one was in the hallway. I could hear the other teachers around me still teaching. Had I been wrong? The noise happened again and I heard a distant screaming, tell me I wasn't. I ran across the hall to Mr. Abraham's room. I yanked open the door and saw him standing at the chalkboard in front of his class.

"Miss Hart, what-." He started but I cut him off.

"Evacuate. Code Black." I said, looking at him. He took a step back, looking confused.

"Is this a drill?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Use the back stairwell." I said. "It's coming from the direction of the office."

"Alright. C'mon, class. Leave your things but bring your phones." I stepped aside, looking up the hallway for any sign of life. Another teacher stuck her head out up the hallway. When she saw me, she raised her eyebrows.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Code Black. Not a drill." I called, trying not to be loud. Mr. Abraham's class filed out, heading down the back staircase to the left of his room. The other teacher ran back to her room and soon, her students came out as well. They joined the other class as I moved to the next room. This was empty along with the one after it. More students started to flood this way from the science wing, mixing with the students here. I did my best to help them stay calm and quiet, guiding them towards the stairs. Through the crowd, I kept my eyes peeled for Caleb. I hadn't seen him come this way yet and his classroom wasn't very far from here. Pushing through the kids, I headed back to the doorway of my classroom to continue guiding the kids. Most looked confused and panicked, a few of them holding up their phones as they tried to call other people. I ducked into my classroom when the group thinned out, glancing out the window. I saw large groups of kids filing out from all over the school and the sound of sirens screamed throughout the air, police screeching into the front parking lot. I needed to find Caleb and get out of here. Was he outside already? Had Mrs. Parry and her class gone out the side door?

The sound of the gun fire happened again, this time louder. It echoed in the hallway, telling me it was coming this way. I moved to run to the door to get out when someone came running through it. Caleb nearly collided with me as he ran in, Andy and Nick behind him. I went to say something but he held a finger to his mouth. Andy shut the door quietly and tried to lock it. It wouldn't though, the only way to lock it was with a key on the other side.

"The window." I whispered, motioning my head towards it. Caleb nodded, pointing at my desk first. Andy and Nick nodded, walking over with him. Together, the three shoved it towards the door. It made a loud noise as they did, causing us all to freeze in fear. There were more gunshots, this time so much closer than before. "We have to go." I said, running over to the window.

"We're on the second floor!" Nick said, fear in his voice.

"I know but this is the only chance we have." I replied. "Climb down until you get to the window below and then drop. It's not that far from there. Then run like hell."

"I'll go first and help you all down." Andy said, tossing his leg over the window cill. He climbed out, hanging for a moment from the frame. He was able to reach the other window, lowering himself down to stand on that before jumping down. Nick swore next to me, sweat pouring down his face. Caleb stood by the desk, making sure it wasn't going anywhere.

"C'mon, Nick. Andy is going to catch you." I said, tugging on his arm. He stepped forward, shakily doing what Andy had done. He struggled a bit with climbing to the next window but Andy was there to help guide him to the ground. Police in SWAT gear were unloading from a van now, heading into the front of the school.

"You're turn." Caleb said, stepping towards me. I shook my head.

"No. You first. I'm the teacher." I replied, grabbing his arm.

"Miss Hart, please. You have to go first. I'll be right out behind you."

"Why are you even still in the school?" I breathed. "The door is right by the stairs near Mrs. Parry's!"

"I had to make sure you got out first." He replied. "You saved me. I save you."

"Caleb-." I said but was silenced by a loud noise vibrating across the room. Something hot slammed into my side, sending my backwards into Caleb. The door splintered and I saw wooden pieces fly across the top of my desk. Someone was able to shove it open enough and I saw the torso of Alex Cruzman come into the room. My eyes widened when I saw him raise his gun and take aim towards us.

"No!" Caleb yelled. He flung his arm back, sending my backwards. I felt myself fall through the open window, my body free falling. Looking up, I saw everything in slow motion. The glass of the windows exploded and blood flew out. The upper part of Caleb's body fell out of the window, slumping over the side. I saw wide, lifeless eyes look down at me before I slammed into the ground.

* * *

"This is the second school shooting to happen this month, according to nationwide reports."

"Three students are dead, including the gunman, following a school shooting at Open Doors Academy."

"Devastation continues to spread throughout Miami as the identities of those killed today at Open Doors Academy are revealed. A community is left to mourn the loss."

Rolling over in the hospital bed, I glared up at the television. I wasn't sure what the hell the nurse was thinking by leaving it on but I was done listening to it. I slammed my right hand onto the remote button, turning it off. The only light in the room now came from the pale glow of the fluorescent bulb above the bed on the wall.

It's been two days since I woke up in the hospital. I had been completely out of it, unsure what had happened. That's when a police officer came in to talk to me, asking questions about the shooting. When he mentioned Caleb dying, it came back to me like a bad dream. I tried to ask him more questions but I couldn't. I couldn't bring myself to speak. No matter how hard I tried to force myself, the words wouldn't form. At first, I thought it was just the grief. But now, I'm not sure. I still haven't been able to speak and the doctors aren't sure if it's due to my injuries. I had been shot in the torso, just missing important organs, and I fractured my collarbone when I fell out the window. Tomorrow, I have to go through a hundred more tests to see if that's what's causing me to be mute suddenly.

Tears welled in my eyes as I thought of Caleb. He shouldn't have been there. He should have went out the door by his classroom. Or the one by the stairs where the other students had gone. Or he should have just listened and went out the window. He shouldn't have come back to make sure I was okay. He shouldn't have saved me. I should have saved him. It was my job. I am his teacher. That's what we were trained to do. Now he was dead and I was left lying here.

Andy and Nick had managed to pull me to safety after I fell. The two of them were mostly fine, Nick suffering a twisted ankle from his landing. Andy had waved down an ambulance and they rushed me to the hospital where I went under emergency surgery. I was lucky to be alive, apparently. At least that's what people keep telling me. Andy and Nick had tried to stop by to see me yesterday but I refused to see anyone. I couldn't stand to face them right now, knowing it was my fault their best friend was dead.

Sitting up, I climbed out of the bed and walked towards the door. I made sure my IV pull came with me, rolling it with my free hand. My other hand was in a sling, doing it's best to keep me still so my collar bone could heal. Walking towards the door, I pushed it open and slid out. It was well after midnight, the night shift nurses probably checking on other patients. I took a left, heading away from the direction of the nurses station. If someone saw me, they would make me go back to my bed and I was done laying there like a victim. As quickly as I could, I hobbled up the hallway towards the service elevator. I pushed the button and it opened. I clambered in, pressing the close button repeatedly until it did. I pressed the first floor button and stood back, pain softly throbbing from the stitches in my side. It wasn't awful but I could tell the medication was wearing off.

The doors opened on the first floor and I wheeled my IV pole with me as I took a right. I managed to avoid a security guard doing rounds by hiding in a doorway, him passing like he hadn't seen me. Continuing on, I didn't stop until I was standing in the doorway of the chapel. Looking both directions, I shoved the heavy door open until I could slip inside. The room was softly lit, the only place in the hospital that was never closed. It was a smaller room, a large stain glass window on the far wall facing me. There was an altar set up with flameless candles, setting the ambiance of a church. Pews were lined up on either side of the aisle, burgundy cushions on them. Stepping forward, I walked down until I was standing in front of the altar.

'_Speak_.' I thought, closing my eyes. I willed myself to say something. To say anything. Nothing came though. I thought harder, scrunching my face up as I concentrated. Nothing came then either. Relaxing my face, I opened my tearfilled eyes and looked up at the stained glass window. It depicted one of the Saints, probably whoever the hospital was named after.

'_If you are real, I suppose you can hear my thoughts too.' I thought in my head. 'I know I'm not much for praying but here goes nothing. Please let me know that Caleb is alright, wherever he might be. Let me know that he didn't die in vain and that me being alive isn't a mistake. Let him know that I'm not angry or upset with him. Give me a sign that he's going to be okay and that his family is going to be okay_.' A tear slid down my face and the image of Tommy crossed my mind. '_Please let Tommy be able to find peace now. He deserves to be happy with someone who can make him happy and I don't think I can be that person now. I'm broken and he doesn't need to fix me_.'

It hadn't been an easy decision to message Trini for her to tell Tommy that I never wanted to see or hear from him again. It was like sending that letter all over again. Only this time, I was broken in more ways than one. I knew if he knew about me being hurt, he'd rush right down here to try and take care of me. I couldn't let him do that though. He had his own life and was on the verge of opening his own dojo. He'd put everything on hold for me and I couldn't let him do that. I had to come to the fact that Tommy and I were never going to happen now. That gunman took more from me than he would ever know and I didn't know how to get it all back. I couldn't. Not all of it.

'_Watch over all of them, God. And please help me find a way to live with myself. I don't want to be broken anymore_.'


	8. If No One Will Listen

**A/N: Hi guys! I hope everyone had a great 4th of July. Here we are; the last chapter. It's not the longest but I sure hope you enjoy. After this, I will begin work on my take of the Shattered Grid series. **

**As always, thank you for the R&R**

* * *

**If No One Will Listen**

**Angel Grove**  
_2019_

"What?" I asked again, taking another step towards Kim. Her fingers were trembling now as I watched her barely hold herself together.  
"Caleb. His name was Caleb." She said, looking at me with terrified eyes. "He was one of the students that died." I nodded.

"I read about him. What about him? Were you there when he died?" I asked softly. She shook her head, tears streaming down her face.  
"He died because of me." She replied in a hushed voice. I looked at her confused.

"No. There was a gunman. It's not your fault." She shook her head again, closing her eyes for a second. When she opened them, fresh tears filled in.

"He saved me. That's why he's dead." She gazed down at her hands in front of her. "I begged him to leave but he wouldn't. He should have gotten out but he came back to make sure I was safe."

"Hey." I said, stepping over to her. "Shhh. Tell me everything, alright?" Putting a hand on the small of her back, I guided her over to the stack of extra mats in the corner of the room. She sat down on them and I knelt in front of her.

"I went to the school to get some papers. That's what I couldn't find the night before when I was on the phone with you. I figured I would be in and out without much issue. I ran into Caleb though in the hallway. We talked for a couple minutes before he went back to class. I was in my classroom when it all started. At first, I heard the little bombs he must have set off downstairs. I think the police said he was trying to lure people into the halls to make it easier. Then the gunshots started." She let out a little sob, hugging her arms around herself.

"Kim…" I trailed off.

"I ran to the classroom across the hall and helped them escape. Then everyone started flooding into the hall. I tried to find Caleb and his friends to make sure they got out alright. When I didn't see them, I assumed they had gone out the other door. I went back into my room to see if I could spot him from the window. The shots were closer and Caleb and his two friends ran into my room." She shuddered. "Alex was right in the hallway then. We moved my desk to try and block the door. Andy and Nick jumped out the window. They didn't want to. We were on the second floor. It was the only way out though. Alex was right outside the door, trying to find more people then."

"What happened to Caleb?" I whispered. She let out a little cry, tears dripping from the edge of her face. I could tell she was back there in her mind, standing in her classroom as complete warfare was going on around her.

"I begged him to go out the window. I told him I'd be right behind him. He wouldn't though until I would. He kept saying that he had to save me. That's when Alex shot through the door. He got me here." She pointed to her side, lifting up her shirt to show me a scar along the bottom of her rib cage. "I didn't realize I had been hit. Alex made it in. Before I could do anything, Caleb shoved me out the window. All I could hear was the gunfire and then there was broken glass falling with me. Then when I looked up from the ground, Caleb's body was hanging halfway out the window." She let out a weak, shallow breath before continuing. "When I woke up, the doctors told me what happened. I couldn't believe it. I could't talk though, a tube in my throat from the surgery. But then, once they removed it, I still couldn't. They did a bunch of tests and exams but they couldn't figure out why."

"It's because if you talked, you'd have to talk about it." I whispered, She gazed over at me, slowly nodding.

"It made it real then. I couldn't face the world, knowing that Caleb had died because of me. Not talking was my way of controlling something. Caleb's grandmother came to the hospital to see me. He lived with her since his real mother wasn't able to handle him and his sisters. I felt awful, knowing I wasn't able to give her the answers she wanted. She told me then that Caleb's mother had passed away a couple days after the shooting. She had stage four breast cancer and her heart just couldn't handle her son dying. Because of me, two lives were ended. And that's something that is going to follow me around for the rest of my life."

"Kim," I said, standing and sitting next to her on the mat. Reaching over, I took her hands in mine. "What happened is not your fault. You are not the one who pulled the trigger that day. You aren't the one who made Caleb's choices for him. You obviously meant a great deal to him if he was willing to risk his life to make sure you were okay."

"He was supposed to be someone. I helped him get out of a terrible situation. He was on track to change the world. It shouldn't have ended like this. It isn't fair. What if he had a purpose in this world and now, he can't fulfill it?"

"To me, it sounds like he already did." I replied, stroking her hand with my thumb.

Kim and I sat there, talking for a couple hours about Caleb and her relationship with him. She told me all about his family, how she helped him when he lived with his mother, and how he had changed his life. I felt like I knew the kid when she spoke and I found myself feeling entirely grateful for a kid that I'll never get to meet. I couldn't let myself think about what would have happened if he hadn't been there. Kim wouldn't be here with me and there was no knowing how many more people the gunman would have killed. Caleb had managed to slow him down, allowing the police to corner and kill him.

Kim explained to me that the police thought Alex had decided to attack the school because of him being bullied. She said it was more than that. He had always liked the girl, Paige, who had been killed as well. He asked her out and she turned him down. When her boyfriend found out, him attacked Alex in the hallway outside of Kim's room. She had managed to break up the fight but it had left Alex feeling enraged and embarrassed. He went home and found his step-father's assault rifle. He headed to school, hoping to seek revenge on them for making him feel that way. Kim feels that when he had shot Paige, he went looking for the boyfriend. He was typically in chorus with her at that time and Alex didn't realize Kim was on vacation so her students were in study hall. The kid was already out of the school by the time he had reached her classroom. He must have panicked when Kim and Caleb saw him so he shot, hoping to find a way out without anyone knowing it was him. Only, school shootings down work like that.

"Alex wasn't a bad kid." Kim said, her breathing more calm now. "I had him for music theory during the first semester. He had failed the year before, being held back. He was older than the other kids but he was always one I could count on to help move something and he was pretty funny. The kids in his class laughed at his jokes all the time. I never thought he would be someone who could do that. The school had been warned about him being bullied though and the look on his face after the fight made me feel uneasy. The school didn't do anything about it though, saying that the kids needed to work it out themselves. I guess it's easy to blame hindsight after the fact." She sighed, rubbing her face with her hands.

"When I first started teaching at Reefside, our safety officer taught a class to the teachers about school shooting protocol. It wasn't as common then but still something they did thanks to Columbine. He told us that there is absolutely no way to completely stop a school shooting. You can provide kids with as much support as humanly possible but there is still something in their wiring that makes them think it's the only option they have. And I can see where he is right with the growing number of them each year. I think of the Parkland shooting and wonder how no one was able to help that kid but then you hear that they tried. I don't think there is anything anyone could have done to stop Alex once he made up his mind. I think it's something to do with the mental health services in our country. Everyone wants to blame the guns but no one wants to try and help these kids find ways to deal with their emotions without trying to hurt others."

"It's true. I remember when Columbine happened. We were in practice and Schmidt pulled us into the gym to tell us. A couple girls there were from that area. One of them lost a friend that day. I couldn't imagine being that angry and upset with the world to want to hurt others in that way. Even after everything we've faced as Rangers, there was a different kind of evil about this. Something that was evil but also mistaken about it. I went through training too when I started at Open Doors but they didn't take it as seriously as other schools. I think it was because they had such a low violence and bullying rate. That's because they never reported it like they were supposed to. They were more worried about making themselves look good than protecting their students and staff. It was the main reason I didn't go back to school. Well, besides the fact I couldn't speak. I couldn't be in a place where their negligence caused Caleb to die."

"Why didn't you come back here then? Why not reach out to me? I would have been there in a heartbeat." I asked. She gave me a small smile.

"That's why. I knew that if you knew the truth, you'd be down to Miami before anyone could stop you. Like I said before, I couldn't let you uproot your life to be there with me. I didn't even want to be around myself, let alone allow the people I loved to be near me. And I didn't even know how long I was going to be around for. I was in a very dark place."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, fear prickling the back of my scalp.

"For a couple of months, I thought about what would happen if I just...didn't wake up one day. I felt like a burden on my aunt who had to take care of me and I had left a nasty ripple effect on so many peoples lives. I figured if I just stopped breathing, less people would be hurt. It was something my doctors warned me about. PTSD. Suicidal thoughts are common with it. It passed though after a while and I realized it would make what Caleb died for pointless. I might not have been doing anything with me life but I couldn't let him die in vain. That's when my mother decided I should move to France to be with her. I tried to tell her I didn't want to but she insisted that Trini come and get me. I knew I couldn't hide from you forever when I came back, no matter how much I made Jason and Trini promise they wouldn't tell you. The jig was up though when Aisha spotted us at my follow up with a doctor out here. I knew once she saw me, it was only a matter of time until you knew. And I was right."

"You're right about a couple of things. I would have been there without even giving it a second thought. Not because I felt obligated to but because that's what people do when they love someone. I don't even know how to describe in words how it felt to sit in the airport that day, not seeing you get off the plane. I knew something was wrong but I couldn't see where anything bad had happened. Then when more time passed and I still hadn't heard from you, it was a different kind of fear. I remember feeling so relieved when Trini told me she had heard from you. It was short lived though when she said you didn't want me to contact you anymore. It was like being sent back in time to the moment I got that letter all over again. Only, this hurts so much worse because I didn't know how you felt about me. I knew I loved you. I still love you. I wish I had known from the beginning but I understand why you did it. And I'm glad you didn't do anything like hurting yourself. I don't even know what I would do with myself if you had. You are the most important part of my life and this past year has felt incomplete without you in it. I'm so sorry about what you went through and what you lost but I will live my entire life, completely grateful for Caleb. He saved you when I couldn't."

"I never meant to hurt you, Tommy. I thought I was stopping you from throwing your life away. Look at everything you've done since then. You've opened the dojo, you're back here in Angel Grove. You're living the life you always wanted to. I would have hindered that."

"Listen to me." I said, shifting so I was facing her directly. "The life I've always wanted to live is one where I"m with you. Everything I've managed to do is because I had you believing in me. Even after we stopped speaking, I still had your voice in the back of my head, telling me what I needed to do and how to get it done. None of this would be possible if it wasn't for you. There is no way you would have hindered me. I know you've been through so much and I will never have answers on how to fix things but I will forever be here for you. Whether it's just as a friend or more, I will always be that person you can fall back on when you get tired of walking alone. Even when you think you're broken, you're still beautiful to me."

"Beautifully broken." She whispered, smiling to herself. "One of the articles about me after the shooting called me that. It's never sounded as true as it did right now I guess." She stood up, walking over to the white board on the floor. Picking it up, she looked down at it. "It's funny. I never thought I'd be able to talk without this again." I stood up, walking towards her. There was something different about her now. Granted, her eyes were red and puffy from crying but something about the air around her felt more calm. Like the tension in her body had disappeared.

"Let me see that." He held out my hand and she gave it to me. Grabbing either side of it, I lifted it slightly in the air before slamming it onto my knee. It split in half, pieces of the cork underneath it flying. "I hated this thing." I said, tossing it on the ground near the front door. She laughed, nodding her head.

"I could tell. So, what now?"

"Well," I took her hands in mine again. "I think we should find you someone to talk to about everything that happened. It's not going to be easy but I think it's the first step in the right direction. And I think Trini and I will talk to your mother about letting you try living here for a while. I think between all of us, we will be able to find a way to convince her. As long as it's something you want to do."

"I'm not thrilled about the therapy part but you're right. I think my mom will agree once she hears I'm talking. It's so weird to hear it after not hearing it for so long. I hope it's not as annoying to everyone else as it is to me right now."

"Are you kidding? It's music to my ears." Leaning in, I pressed my lips to hers.

* * *

_**Three months later…**_

"A little higher on that side, Rocky." I called, gazing up at the sign in the former red ranger's hand. Raised the banner higher, turning back to look down at me from his position on the ladder.

"How's that?" He asked. I tilted my head, trying to determine if it was straight or not.

"Bring it down like a hair."

"Dude, I'm about to strangle you with it." I heard him mutter, lowering his arm.

"There! Perfect." I called out, giving him a thumbs up. He nailed it to the front of the building, climbing down the ladder. Stepping back he looked up at it with me.

"Still can't believe it's our one year anniversary." He said, patting me on the back. "Feels just like yesterday we were trying to cram everything from your garage into your jeep."

"It was. Remember? We had to get all the tables and chairs in there." Rocky rolled his eyes at me.  
"Oh, ha ha. You know what I meant, jackass." He muttered, heading over to the ladder and folding it up. "You know, if you spent as much time teaching as you do making jokes, I could have more of a social life."

"A social life? You're married. You're not allowed to have one of them anymore." I replied.

"Don't let Aisha hear you say that. She'd have both our asses." He said.

"Don't let Aisha hear him say what?" A woman's voice said behind us. Glancing over my shoulder, I spotted Aisha DeSantos walking up the sidewalk. The African American woman was carrying a tray in her hands, a bag from the nearby grocery store hanging from her wrist. She raised an eyebrow towards the both of us, waiting for an explanation.

"Nothing, dear. Here. Let me get that for you." Rocky said, scurrying over to help Aisha with what she was holding. She gave him an expression of non amusement, allowing him to take the trays anyway. He headed inside and she stood next to me, gazing up at the sign.

"Looks good. Congrats by the way!" She said, smiling at me.

"Thanks. I still find it a bit hard to wrap my head around. Of course, I wouldn't have been able to do it with you guys and the rest of the gang." I replied.

"That's what we're here for. I think we all knew you would do something great, Tommy. Well, maybe some more than others. Kim will be here in about ten minutes." She shot me a wink before walking in after her husband. I smiled watching after her as I leaned against the broom that I had been using to sweep the sidewalk.

Due to the one year anniversary of the dojo being open, we are having quite the celebration. It's more like a glorified open house in hopes of getting more people to sign up. We already have a pretty good student body, most of the classes full. There's always room for more though. So, we're inviting all of Angel Grove and nearby Stone Canyon to come to the party. There would be plenty of free food, student demonstrations, and discount prices for sign-ups. Our star pupils were already inside, warming up with Jason who has been helping out since his went into semi-retirement from the army and our numbers grew bigger. Him and Trini both seem to like him working here better, avoiding the hour or so long drive to base every day. He still needs to report every Monday for some basic stuff but he's here the rest of the week. It's great having two of my best friends helping me with this, giving me someone to talk to when I need some advice or help.

Picking up the broom, I headed into the front door where I found Aisha and Rocky fussing over the food table. He was chewing on something, telling me he must have gotten caught eating something he shouldn't have. She smacked him with a stack of paper plates before setting them on the corner of the long table we had set out. In the back room, I could hear the calls from the kids as they went through their routines. Everything was falling into shape nicely. I headed up to my office to change, my eyes scanning the street through the window for a hint of brunette hair.

Thirty minutes later, people were mingling throughout the first floor of the dojo. I noticed a number of them were students I had already, their parents with them. They had brought friends with them though, showing them the different rooms and the demonstration going on. Jason was dressed in his dark red gi, calling out orders to the kids as they went through it. People stood on either side of the mats, watching. I could tell that those who weren't already signed up were getting interested. There was a line forming at the desk in the corner, Aisha and Trini sitting behind it as people signed up for classes. At this rate, we would be full by the end of the party.

I walked around, greeting people as they came in the door and Rocky explained the different classes we have. Aisha refilled the food when it ran low and made sure that the garbage wasn't piling up. Like I had said before, I had no clue how I could handle all of this without these guys helping me. I'm sure I'd be a hot mess and no where near as successful as I am. It wasn't easy to admit that I needed help sometimes but it was better than letting my dreams be ruined with my pride. It was something I think we all learned these last few months.

"Hey, handsome." A cheerful voice said behind me. I smiled, turning around to see Kimberly standing there. Her hair was pinned up in a loose bun and she wore a pink summer dress. In her hands, she was holding a green gift bag and a wide smile was on her lips.

"Hey, beautiful." I said softly, leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek. She held her hand out towards me, the gift bag dangling from her fingers.

A lot can happen in three months. After Kim and I talked that day, we went back to Trini and Jason's apartment. They were indeed shocked to hear her talk but more grateful than anything. We talked with them as well, going over everything that had happened at the school and with Caleb. Each time Kim tells it, she seems to be able to hold her emotions more. After our discussion, it was decided she would start therapy within the next few days. Trini helped her find one in the area and I took her to her first session. It wasn't easy and there was a lot of tears from everyone involved but she made it threw. Now, she goes there twice a week and if able to talk more freely about things than she was before.

Kim also called and spoke to her mother. She was still leary about having Kim stay in California but Kim was able to convince her that Trini, Jason, and I could assist her with whatever she needs. She still came to see her for a few days and I think it was a chance to see how she was really doing. When she left, she pulled me aside and said she was counting on me to take care of her. There was no need to tell me that. I was counting on myself to do exactly that.

Since that day, we've been taking things extremely slow. We did our best to not apply labels to us for a while until she was ready. We've been officially together for about a month and a half now, something that feels more natural than anything I've ever felt. We're still taking it slow, no pressure here to take things to the next level. I let her set the pace and I do my very best to ensure she has a smile on her face whenever she's near me. And it seems to be working. I did ask her to move in with me. I knew it was a big step and too soon but she didn't immediately turn me down. She said she had to think about it and let me know. All I could do was hope it would happen.

Not everything for Kim is easy now. She still has nightmares about what happened and has days where she wants to hide all day instead of facing reality. I don't blame her for that. What she went through is unbelievable and heartbreaking. She's been in contact with Caleb's grandmother this past month. It was something her therapist suggested and I think it's helped her relate to someone since the shooting. Sometimes, I still find myself angry with what happened to her and how I wasn't there for her sooner. She reassures me that it was the best anyway and that I'm there for her now.

Kim's working for a non-profit agency here in town now, helping those who had suffered trauma overcome it. It was another thing her therapist suggested. By helping others, it was more likely Kim might be able to trust herself to understand everything that happened was a part of who she was and she could either accept it or keep hiding. She does struggle some day but overall, she seems to be doing well in most aspects of her life.

"Sorry I'm late. I wanted to grab you something. Here."

"You didn't have to do that." I said, taking the bag.

"I know. That's what a present usually is though. Open it." She nudged it towards me and I peeked inside, moving the green colored tissue paper that was in the way. I saw it was something thin and long in size. Reaching in, I pulled it out.

"A whiteboard." I stated, raising an eyebrow at her. She nodded, looking pleased with herself. There was a neon green frame around the dry erase surface.

"Exactly."

"Does this mean you're going back on your vow of silence or something?" I asked.

"No. We need something to hang on our fridge. I mean, how else will I remind you to grab your lunch each morning?" She replied.

"Our fridge? Wait." I stepped closer to her. "Does this mean the answer is yes? That you'll move in with me?"

"Well, it might be a little hard to write on it from Trini's so I suppose so." I let out a loud laugh, bending over and giving her a hug. It squashed the bag between us, the edges of the board digging into my chest. She let out a little squeal before I set her down, a laugh following it. "Alright, alright. Put me down." She said, resting her hands on my biceps.

"I'm sorry. I'm so happy to hear that. What made you say yes?"

"You." She said softly, smiling up at me. "Like usual, it was you."

"You know that thing you said about being beautifully broken?" I asked, cupping her face in my hands. She nodded. "They were wrong."

"How so?" She asked.

"You'll never be anything but just beautiful to me." She smiled as I leaned in and kissed her on the lips.


End file.
